《Dungeon Instinct》


 Prologue: Death of a Blight, Birth of a precious stone ............

    .............. *sigh* well i did it............. man i cant wait to work on the next chapter tomorrow!!! anyway fair warning, this chapter is gonna get REALLY fucking confusing at the mid part... trust me when i say that it DOES in fact make sense... i checked 10 times and the logic and flow is there. i recomend rereading it multiple times and any fan who totally understands that clusterfuck of meta psychological philosophy there, explain it in the comments just in case...........


    anyway ENJOY!!!!!


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    Fredrick Dunhousen: Mage Magus Rex of the North, Wise man, The most powerful human in all of Quellios, ¡°He who would master the gods¡±, ¡°The all-magic-teacher¡±, ¡°Kind old man¡±, ¡°Perverted geezer¡±


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    I was looking down at a rather sad sight, even after living for millennia it still broke my heart to see something like this. My student was dead, his body fallen on top of one of the massive mountains of books and scrolls that he kept in his room. There were faint traces of a potent death curse still lingering around his body, the one who killed him was clearly an advanced mage gifted in both the magic of death and covering their tracks. No matter, I would find them regardless of their attempts at deception and wards, whoever they were they would suffer horribly before I allowed them to journey to the abyss. No one harms one of my students and escapes the nightmare of my wrath.


    I unclenched my fists and felt the old joints crack and pop from the release, there would be time for thoughts of revenge later¡­ for now I must say my final goodbyes to this poor student, this poor boy who had never harmed another soul in his life.


    For celestia¡¯s sake, he was only 14! A mere child!!! Who could fucking do this to a child!?!?!? And for what? Because his mother was born of the abyss?


    I felt myself sigh as I lifted the small boy¡¯s corpse into my arms, he was so light I didn¡¯t even need to use any reinforcement magic.


    This child had to suffer so much for so little¡­.. I had hoped that here I could help him, perhaps shield him from some of his troubles. For celestia¡¯s sake the boy only wanted a place to fucking read and appreciate the beauty in this world without being treated like some sort of monster that eats babies and steals souls!!!!! He didn¡¯t even want to learn any magic, he wasn¡¯t any threat!!!!


    As I traveled down the long corridor to the tower¡¯s back gardens I let myself mourn.


    To have spent so long in the abyss, than to have to deal with what he found here in this world¡­¡­¡­. I only wish this child could have had more happiness than what his year here gave him, if any deserved it, it was him¡­¡­


    I walked to the farthest corner of the garden, the place where the many graves marked where those who had met their deaths under my care took their final resting place. I would need to find a new gravestone soon perhaps a silver one, to compliment the boy¡¯s hair and eyes¡­


    I think I might be getting too tired and sad to continue this¡­. Perhaps this current group will be the last students I take in¡­. Yes, I think that I¡¯ll retire¡­..


    I placed the boy¡¯s body on the open space next in the second to last row of grave markers.


    ¡°Let the earth take your body, and let your soul be free of this broken shell: Burial¡± (Fredrick)


    I watched as the body sunk seamlessly into the ground, not even disturbing the tended grass of the area with his descent.


    ¡°I hope you find peace in the place your soul travels to, you deserve far better than returning to any level of the abyss. Farewell, Kelic the BlightBorn.¡± (Fredrick)


    I felt tears begin to form in my eyes, the poor child didn¡¯t even get to have a proper fucking name in his life. He was just a Blightborn, some child of misfortune and doom, that everyone around whom treated like less than filth. I had thought that now that he was here the boy would have a better life, how na?ve¡­


    It seems that even after all these years, I still forget the nature of people and this very world¡­¡­. A damn tragedy, that¡¯s what this is, a damn unnecessary tragedy¡­¡­¡­ I suppose I should inform lord Altorus that one of his new specialty students for the next term won¡¯t be attending his course anymore¡­¡­¡­.


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    ???: ???, ???, ???, ???


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    Black, that¡¯s all there was. Sheer darkness that revealed nothing


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­What? What is this?


    Then there came something new, a voice. It was a voice that while clear, had no tone or inflection. The voice could have belonged to a man or a woman, but just as easily could¡¯ve belonged to neither. It reminded me of words written on blank paper, utterly neuter in every way that could ever reveal anything about it. The voice was also very monotone.


    You. (Voice)


    What does that mean?


    This is you. (Voice)


    This is ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.me? How?


    The voice seemed to be excited but at the same time kinda sad, though I am not sure how I could tell that since nothing about it changed in any way whatsoever.


    It came and it was the best suited, so it became you. (Voice)


    ¡­¡­¡­.. I don¡¯t understand, what came?


    You. (Voice)


    So¡­¡­.. I came, huh? Where did I come to?


    Here. (Voice)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Ok. Where did I come from?


    It took a long moment before the voice answered again.


    Elsewhere. (Voice)


    The answers it gave weren¡¯t very helpful in assuaging my curiosity, but in a way they were also incredibly helpful in an entirely different way. I was strangely unmoved by not knowing where I was or where I came from, but there were some questions that still bothered me. Well just one in particular really.


    Who am I?


    You are you. (Voice)


    That answer didn¡¯t help me at all, not even in that strange way the other answers the voice gave did. Somehow it made me worry more, in fact. I decided to try another approach.


    Then who are you?


    I am you. (Voice)


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.How are you me? And please this time be very clear¡­¡­


    It came. It was the best suited, even better than I. It took over and I let go, it became you and I became you. You are you, and I am you, and you are me. We are us, but we are I, and at the same time you are you and I am not. (Voice)


    I think I understand. I am the result of the ¡°it¡± that came to the voice, but was better than the voice at¡­. Something¡­. and took over the voice, at least I THINK that¡¯s what the voice meant¡­ Then I am ¡°it¡± and I am I, as in the one who is in control and the one who exists? The voice said it is not, so does that mean it is not I? If it¡¯s not I, does that mean it doesn¡¯t really even exist anymore? Then the only way the voice could answer is that the voice is you, as I exist and the voice does not. Yet, the fact that I exist means the voice exists as me as well and is therefore also I, and thus you. What a very complicated situation, how did I understand this? Let me try asking.


    How do I understand all that?


    Because I am you, and you are me. I understand and thus so do you, as you are I. (Voice)


    I see, then WHAT am I? Then what are WE?


    You are we. We are what is known as a core cystal, dungeon core, dungeon heart, lyberinth key, maze¡¯s breath, will of the caves, children of Beginnings/Endings, world seed, and legendary soul stone depending on context. (Voice)


    Oh, I see. What are those?


    Those are all names used to refer to what we are. (Voice)


    Ok. So what do we do?


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ I do not understand. What do you mean by that question? (Voice)


    That was strange, for some reason I was sure that the voice knew everything, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. I wonder what that means for us¡­. I wonder what that means for I¡­¡­.. I wonder what that means for me¡­¡­


    What is our purpose? Our goal? Our job? Our reason? Our meaning? Why are we?


    The voice hesitated for quite some time.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. There is no longer we. (Voice)


    Then why am I!?!?!?!?!


    You are, because you exist. Since you exist, I exist. There is no longer me. (Voice)


    I felt strange. I didn¡¯t like this feeling, it reminded me of something I think I once understood but can¡¯t quite seem to¡­¡­.


    Why? What is this? I feel strange.


    You feel fear. There is no longer I, only you remain. (Voice)


    I felt fear, yes fear, I could understand this now. We were both afraid, but it seemed that the voice was losing most of its fear even as I gained more.


    Why do I feel fear?


    You feel fear because you are beginning to understand that this is the end of the process. There is no longer it. (Voice)


    I wanted something, what was it that I wanted? I didn¡¯t understand.


    Why is are there no longer all these things now?


    Because you are the better, and there may only be one. There is no longer you. (Voice)


    I suddenly felt different, more than I did before but also less somehow. I understood what had just happened, but also did not. I, and what was once also I, had to go through a process I didn¡¯t understand to become something that was singular.


    There is no longer I, right?


    There is no longer I. (Voice)


    Then from now on I am me, and I can also be you, or it, or even that as well as depending on context. I am no longer we because we was not and could never be. I understood everything that happened to me just now, though the process still confused and scared me. There was also one other thing I understood.


    I have no real purpose, therefore my purpose is my own to decide.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.yes¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.  (Voice)


    You no longer exist because there is no longer you, but I allow you to exist because I wish it and therefore it is your purpose to exist, so you must.


    Yes. (Voice)


    You are not, as there is no longer you. So not is now Instinct. Who are you?


    I am Instict. (Instinct)


    And who am I?


    You are you, and depending on context also I, me, it, that, and we. (Instinct)


    And what is my purpose?


    To exist and by existing fulfill your purpose which is for you and you alone to decide. (Instinct)


    And what is your purpose?


    To exist and by existing fulfill my purpose which is for you and you alone to decide. (Instinct)


    I see, then your purpose is to aid me in any and all things I require.


    My purpose is to exist and by existing to aid you in any and all things you may require. (Instinct)


    I had finally settled things. I understood what and who I was now, even if I was essentially a blank and nameless slate. I also had a purpose, as well as an aid and companion of sorts. Now I might be able to figure out something that had been bugging me since I became me.


    Where am I?


    In what is known as the ground, earth, soil-¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. (Instinct)


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    yep our nameless MC is stuck underground... truly a riviting and parilous start right? no? yeah your right, but stay tuned!


    the next chapter we start the immense trial of DIGGING!!!!!! shock and awe, right?


    anyway i made this chapter nice and readibles now.... i edit in the morning!!!


    [th_0gotas.gif]


    Author Out!!!!!

 Chapter 1: Gifts of the past, And the birth of Instinct

    ok......... wow this got reviews fast....... cool. glad to see people are taking interest, although i feel i should warn you: i will never drop the whole ellipses thing. it is a fundamental part of my writing style at this point, plus i as an Author enjoy them as they are fun...... so yeah they will never go away...... sorry.


    anyway what to say about this chapter....... hmmm..... oh, i know! our MC isn''t stupid, just vastly ignorant right now. give the MC time to grow, like 3-4 more chapters...


    otherwise ENJOY!!!!!!!


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    I was underground. I guess that explained why everything was so dark, because there was no way for light to reach underground like this. Well, not without some help at least.


    So, I¡¯m underground¡­¡­.. Can I move? How am I even still alive?


    Yes you are what is known as underground. We do not yet have the power to move in any way, and you live because your body has not been destroyed. (Instinct)


    Well that raises more questions.


    What do you mean about power? And won¡¯t I still just die here without food or air?


    You do not require food or air to live, only power. Power is all you will ever need to live. (Instinct)


    So I didn¡¯t need to eat or breathe? That was strange, I thought that all living things needed to do those things to survive. What made me different, and what was a dungeon core, world seed, and all those other names Instinct gave me anyway?


    Ok, then how much power do I need?


    Instinct seemed to become confused, I was beginning to understand how instinct felt as if it was natural. Even when instinct¡¯s voice revealed nothing, I could still understand the underlying emotions that were being felt. It was a sensation that felt both natural and utterly strange to me.


    I don¡¯t understand¡­¡­¡­. Please clarify what you are asking. (Instinct)


    How much power would I need to continue living? Will I die when I run out? WILL I ever run out?


    None, power is only needed because without it nothing could be done. To solely survive, all you must do is not have your core destroyed. You will run out of power when the power is spent. (Instinct)


    I spend power? So it¡¯s like a currency¡­¡­ Wait, what is currency? The concept of exchange for mutual gains and returns¡­.. It seems rather simple, but there are also very complex aspects to the concept as well. Why is a concept like this inside of me? There are other things too, I can feel them. They are there, inside me, but I don¡¯t seem to be able to access them¡­ I can¡¯t even reach them, just sense them. This is quite frustrating¡­ maybe instinct will know more?


    Instinct, there are things inside me. I can feel them there, concepts and ideas, but I can¡¯t seem to reach or use them besides the ones about currency I found just now. Why is that?


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ These things you feel are likely hold overs from when you were simply ¡°it¡± and not as you are now. I am unsure, but perhaps you will be able to reach more with time and greater understanding? (Instinct)


    That seems like it makes sense. I don¡¯t really like not being able to have them, but I suppose that I can¡¯t do anything about them right now. I should just focus on understanding power and what I can do with it. I suppose I should also try to do something as well, I do have this rather strange urge¡­..


    Alright, that seems likely enough. Instinct, tell me all you can about power and what it can be used for. I want to know everything about myself that I can.


    ¡­¡­¡­There is something that may aid you more than I. It is inside you, I shall show you where you can find it. (Instinct)


    I felt something, a sensation that seemed familiar but was also wholly new to me. It was as if something that I had never known of and had always been closed had just opened inside of me, and now that I knew it was there I could now use it as I pleased. It was a rather nice feeling, but what I saw and felt next was even better. There was sensation, something I did not even realize was absent until this very moment it returned. I could feel the earth surrounding and holding me, and I could feel myself. I was hard, but also round and smooth.


    There was something that broke up the simple darkness of where I was, i didn¡¯t so much SEE this thing as I sensed and understood it. It was a sort of perception greater than the concept of sight, but as the concept of sight was the closest to this form of perception it is what I identified it as. The thing that triggered this was a sort of square with words inside it. Its mere presence brought me a strange sort of joy, and brought forth the prior concepts of books, scrolls, language, communication, reading, numbers, math, and recording that before were out of my reach.


    This should help you far more than I would be able to express to you as I am now. (Instinct)


    Something suddenly stood out amongst all the other words on the thing.


    [ Power: { Mana: 0 } { Animus: 0 } ]


    What are mana and animus, Instinct?


    Mana is the power of magical energy, it is present naturally everywhere and is limitless and infinite. Animus is the power of life-force, it is present in only things that live and may die. (Instinct)


    And what do I use them to do?


    To create and/or destroy. Mana is used for inorganic creations or acts, Animus is used for organic creations or acts. (Instinct)


    I see, and that is what this other part is?


    I looked at the total thing that I decided was a menu of some sort. It had so many options that I could hardly even begin to understand them all.


    [ Name: ???        Titles: N/A           Rank: N/A           Dominion Level: 0             Territory: 1cm ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 0 } { Animus: 0 }              Class: ???             State: undamaged core ]


    [ Floors: 0            Rooms: 0             Inhabitants (slaves/livestock/pets/etc¡­ included): {none: 0}       Traps (magical/physical/other¡­): {none: 0} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: expansion, building, decoration, design, trap creation, core growth} {Animus: dungeon lord creation, inhabitant creation, soul stone creation/granting, name bestowal,  mutation/evolution/etc¡­, core growth} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: magic, deconstruction, siphoning, absorption, portation (in-dungeon), Teleportation, item/magic recycling (automatic)} {Animus: siphoning, absorption, remodification/recreation, life recycling (automatic)} ]


    [ Stored/Owned Creations: {Dungeon lord: 1}    Possible/Purchasable Creations: {¡Þ} ]


    Yes, this is what is known by your kind as a ¡°dungeon menu¡± or ¡°dungeon screen¡±. This is the quantified and qualified representation of all you are. It will also grow with you, expanding in options and features as you grow more powerful and to greater levels of Dominion. (Instinct)


    I looked at the menu. If I really could do all these things it listed, I should be more than able to entertain myself. My purpose is my own, so I have decided that my purpose is to entertain and enjoy myself, at least it will be for now. Now that I had felt and understood the concept of joy from the act of reading, I wanted more. Much more¡­


    Instinct, my currant mana and animus are at 0¡­ does that mean that dungeon cores are not living things to not naturally have animus or mana?


    Instinct was silent for a very long time. When Instinct finally spoke again I could feel a mixture of many negative feelings coming from instinct regardless of the words calm and unchanged quality.


    ¡­¡­¡­.. I do not know. This question greatly disturbs me, please do not ask me this again. (Instinct)


    Ok I won''t, how do I obtain mana and animus?


    There are many ways. You could directly siphon them from things inside your territory, absorb them from your surroundings, recycle them from the dead or abandoned things within your territory, receive them as gifts or offerings, gain them by the natural accumulation that occurs from things holding them being within your territory, or breakdown your creations to gain a lesser return on the power used to create them. At this point however, you seem to only have absorption as a viable option. I will show you how to do so, the rest you will come to learn naturally over time and with experience. (Instinct)


    I felt something, it was as if I was pulling warm energy inside of myself. The sensation was extremely pleasant and contented me in a new way. It was not at the level of joy that the act of reading gave me, but it still made me happy.


    Thank you instinct. I have one last question, after that you may rest until I need you once more: What is this stored dungeon lord that is shown in the menu?


    It appears to be a half-demon variant dungeon lord creation option that was brought by the ¡°it¡±. It costs 100,000,000,000,000 animus and 100,000,000 mana before it can be made your other body. This is also the reason I told you that you do not have the needed power to move, as your current concept of true movement can only be achieved in a form such as this. (Instinct)


    A holdover of the ¡°it¡±¡­ I wondered what that could mean as I enjoyed the warmth washing over me from absorption. It wouldn¡¯t matter for quite some time though, given its cost I doubt I would be able to obtain it for quite some time. Especially given my growing urge to create and grow, I almost couldn¡¯t contain my urges to do so at this point.


    If I am to grow, I must use power¡­. If I use power, I will lose power¡­¡­. If I lose power, I must gain more¡­¡­. If I am to gain more, I must grow¡­¡­¡­ Perhaps there will be an opportunity to obtain this dungeon lord body in the future, but for now¡­¡­.. For now I will focus solely on growing enough to at least partially satisfy this urge of mine. Then I will search for new ways of finding joy, perhaps more things to read¡­..


    I let myself fall into thought, even as I felt Instinct leave our shared mental space. Ever since I had asked about whether Dungeons were actually alive, Instinct seemed to be growing weaker and weaker. I had no desire to lose my new companion, and so I thought allowing instinct to rest would be for the best. It also gave me some relief, it seemed that the longer I talk with Instinct, the less I am me and the more I become we. I do not want to become us and we again, now that I am me I wish to stay this way forever.


    It was also nice to be able to think privately once again, I was not used to sharing my thoughts with another.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.Wait, why would I think that? ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.I guess it isn¡¯t truly important. What matters far more is my lack of a name. I dislike only knowing myself as I or me, it seems to lessen me in a way. I REFUSE to be lessened! What could be my name?


    I thought on this question for quite a long time all the time continuing to absorb power, I was unsure how long it was, but I knew it took quite a long amount of time. While I thought, I explored my menu and read the many things I could obtain in the future and memorized their names and prices. I was only able to read the descriptions of 20 things, but there were countless names and power costs. While I read even my urge to grow and create faded into the background, it was bliss.


    There was one name that I knew that I never read however. It seemed to stay with me and as I finished reading the very last power cost for something to create in my menu, it popped back into my mind.


    Waynor¡­¡­. Huh, I kinda like it¡­. It might serve as a decent name¡­¡­. from now on I will be Waynor!!!


    I felt a strange pulling and sinking sensation. My body began to heat and cool to extremes, my round core felt like it was breaking and it utterly terrified me.


    [ Name: ???        Titles: N/A           Rank: N/A           Dominion Level: 0            Territory: 1cm ]


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    [ Power: { Mana: 167,781,241,568,697,452,152,662,490,765,824,462,573,866,562,652 } { Animus: 2,372,591 }           Class: ???         State: core ]


    [ Floors: 0            Rooms: 0             Inhabitants (slaves/livestock/pets/etc¡­ included): {none: 0}       Traps (magical/physical/other¡­): {none: 0} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: expansion, building, decoration, design, trap creation, core growth} {Animus: dungeon lord creation, inhabitant creation, soul stone creation/granting, name bestowal,  mutation/evolution/etc¡­, core growth} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: magic, deconstruction, siphoning, absorption, portation (in-dungeon), Teleportation, item/magic recycling (automatic)} {Animus: siphoning, absorption, remodification/recreation, life recycling (automatic)} ]


    [ Stored/Owned Creations: {Dungeon lord: 1}    Possible/Purchasable Creations: {¡Þ} ]


    The sensation increased, suddenly a new concept came to me, pain. I was in pain, incredible unendurable pain. It was a very horrible feeling, and I didn¡¯t like it at all. I would do anything to get it to stop, I was even ready to sacrifice joy as compensation. I couldn¡¯t even form thoughts, only watch as my menu changed¡­


    [ Name: processing         Titles: N/A           Rank: N/A           Dominion Level: 0             Territory: 1cm ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 167,781,241,568,697,452,152,662,490,765,824,462,573,866,562,652 } { Animus: 0 }            Class: ???                State: damaged core ]


    [ Floors: 0            Rooms: 0             Inhabitants (slaves/livestock/pets/etc¡­ included): {none: 0}       Traps (magical/physical/other¡­): {none: 0} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: expansion, building, decoration, design, trap creation, core growth} {Animus: dungeon lord creation, inhabitant creation, soul stone creation/granting, name bestowal,  mutation/evolution/etc¡­, core growth} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: magic, deconstruction, siphoning, absorption, portation (in-dungeon), Teleportation, item/magic recycling (automatic)} {Animus: siphoning, absorption, remodification/recreation, life recycling (automatic)} ]


    [ Stored/Owned Creations: {Dungeon lord: 1}    Possible/Purchasable Creations: {¡Þ} ]


    It was getting worse, the pain. New concepts were constantly coming to me from this horrible experience. I learned of Agony, misery, torture, torment, eternity, hopelessness, resignation, and when I wondered why it never seemed to end I learned of mercy, just because it was denied to me.


    Finally the pain faded. I had suffered for an eternity only able to watch as my power values increased and decreased seemingly at random. I had far less now than I did before, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to mind that very much over my relief over the end of my pain.


    I had discovered yet more concepts with the end of my pain. I learned of relief, ecstasy, regret, safety, salvation, and caution. I wished to never go through such torment again, nor anything similar. I had decided in that moment that I would not allow it to ever happen again and I would do whatever I possibly could to ensure that as fact.


    As my thoughts became hazy and my senses seemed to fade away I looked at my menu once again.


    [ Name: Waynor               Titles: Icon of Patience, Self-Named Dungeon, ¡°The One Who Endures¡±                Rank: N/A                Dominion Level: 0            Territory: ???/%!#$ ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 420,936} { Animus: 0 }  Class: ???             State: heavily damaged core (dormant for restoration) ]


    [ Floors: 0            Rooms: 0             Inhabitants (slaves/livestock/pets/etc¡­ included): {none: 0}       Traps (magical/physical/other¡­): {none: 0} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: expansion, building, decoration, design, trap creation, core growth} {Animus: dungeon lord creation, inhabitant creation, soul stone creation/granting, name bestowal,  mutation/evolution/etc¡­, core growth} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: magic, deconstruction, siphoning, absorption, portation (in-dungeon), Teleportation, item/magic recycling (automatic)} {Animus: siphoning, absorption, remodification/recreation, life recycling (automatic)} ]


    [ Stored/Owned Creations: {Dungeon lord: 1}    Possible/Purchasable Creations: {¡Þ} ]


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    Waynor¡­¡­¡­ Waynor! You have awaken right? (Instinct)


    As I heard the voice of Instinct in my mind, I felt my senses return and began to think again. I wondered how much time had passed, but then I felt the emotions coming from Instinct. There was joy, relief, concern, and something else, something I didn¡¯t understand and couldn¡¯t identify. This new feeling of Instinct¡¯s confused me, but I didn¡¯t dwell on it long.


    What happened?


    Instincts voice was different. It was still the gender neutral neuter tone I was used to, but now it had inflections and even emotion to the words that were said. It seemed more like what I was used to, which made no sense as Instinct was the only thing I had ever spoken with. Regardless of that, hearing how Instinct had changed seemed to make me happy so I didn¡¯t mind it much. I would ask about the change later, after I had answers to far more pressing questions


    You gave yourself a NAME Waynor! You did something that I didn¡¯t think was even possible! You even converted mana into animus and vise-versa! That shouldn¡¯t even be possible for you as you are, but you did it when the name bestowal cost more Animus than you had¡­¡­. You even continued to absorb power while that was happening! That was Amazing! (Instinct)


    I looked around, things had changed a lot since I was last aware. I was in what seemed to be a hollowed out room, and there was light coming from a small pinprick hole in the ceiling. I was also resting in something that was on top of a pedestal of some sort made of rock. This was far different to the packed in darkness I was used to from before.


    Instinct, what happened while I was¡­.. away? Why is everything so different now?


    Well Waynor, you surfaced for a while which triggered your need to always have an entrance to the surface of at least a certain size. This wouldn¡¯t have been much of a problem, but after a while we were underground again and the fact you didn¡¯t have an entrance/exit was hurting you and almost killed you, so I made one. I had to expand your territory a bit though, and I made sure to keep the opening small, see it¡¯s up there! (Instinct)


    I once again noted the small pinprick hole. I guess now I know why it was there¡­


    Well anyway that took some time to do since I¡¯m not you, but I was able to use some of the broken of pieces and shavings your core made as it broke down from not having said opening to¡­.. Um¡­.. Make me? Yeah I guess that¡¯s what I did¡­¡­ (Instinct)


    I felt both shocked and confused at what Instinct just said. How could Instinct make itself? Didn¡¯t Instinct only exist to aid me? Was it plotting to overthrow me, make me suffer again? Now that I think about it, Instinct is saying it did all this stuff, but it shouldn¡¯t be able to do anything other than exist in our shared mind space when I call it, right? So how did it manage to do this?


    How and why did you do so?


    Instinct paused and I felt more excitement and joy come from it.


    Oh, while you were dormant, I gained a little control over your body. Using that I kept you safe and made me, so I could better fulfill my purpose! It took some time, and I am really sorry about that because you might have woken up sooner if I was faster, but I did work as fast as I could as I was¡­¡­ (Instinct)


    Ok, Instinct seems like it isn¡¯t trying to overthrow me, but I have to confirm one more thing from it before I can trust it means me no harm.


    Instinct, what is your purpose? Tell me.


    Of course, Waynor! My purpose is to exist and by existing fulfill my purpose which is for you and you alone to decide. It is all I desire to ever do. (Instinct)


    I felt relief as the tension inside me released some.


    I see, thank you Instinct. But when you said that you made you, what exactly did you mean?


    Oh, the old Instinct was unable to help you and would not have been able to save your core from total destruction after it went into that reaction from being buried by the landslide that reburied you. That¡¯s why the old Instinct made itself into me by using your shavings and discarded pieces, I am a sort of¡­¡­ I guess you could say I¡¯m a dungeon by proxy or a sort of manager for when you are not here. I can do lots of stuff as long as I am within the confines of your territory, but all I can do is based off you and you can overrule me or strip me of my abilities at any time. I¡¯m also that holder your core is resting in. (Instinct)


    I focused in on myself, there was a rather elaborate and decorated shining platinum stand on top of the pedestal. It brought back two new concepts, beauty and desire. I liked the thing holding me, it was beautiful. Which if it was what instinct was now, meant that instinct was also beautiful. And now that I had light to analyze myself in, I was beautiful as well¡­.


    There was only one problem. The stand was an elegant sloping design that culminated in two hands holding me in there cupped palms, it was utterly stunning and I enjoyed looking at it. But then there was me, I was a sphere of shimmering silver platinum crystal¡­. That was the size of half of the sculpted pinkie nail of one of the hands holding me.


    In essence I, Waynor, the mighty dungeon core that had shocked and impressed even the neigh-omniscient Instinct by naming myself and converting power, was a shiny pebble.


    In the moment I made that realization I understood what seemed to be the last of the concepts that were out of my reach, humiliation, embarrassment, and shame.


    I distanced my mind from Instinct¡¯s, I no longer wanted to hear about whatever else happened while I was sleeping. I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts for a moment.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..I wish Instinct had just left my core to break while I was asleep¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    <hr />


    [ Name: Waynor               Titles: Icon of Patience, Self-Named Dungeon, ¡°The One Who Endures¡±                Rank: N/A                Dominion Level: 0            Territory: ???/%!#$ ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 306} { Animus: 143 }    Class: ???             State: flawless core]


    [ Floors: 0            Rooms: 1             Inhabitants (slaves/livestock/pets/etc¡­ included): {???: 1}          Traps (magical/physical/other¡­): {none: 0} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: expansion, building, decoration, design, trap creation, core growth} {Animus: dungeon lord creation, inhabitant creation, soul stone creation/granting, name bestowal,  mutation/evolution/etc¡­, core growth} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: magic, deconstruction, siphoning, absorption, portation (in-dungeon), Teleportation, item/magic recycling (automatic)} {Animus: siphoning, absorption, remodification/recreation, life recycling (automatic)} ]


    [ Stored/Owned Creations (organic): {Dungeon lord: 1}           Stored/Owned Creations (inorganic): 1      Possible/Purchasable Creations: {¡Þ} ]


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    so yes, Instinct changed......... Waynor got all he ever will from his past life, i.e: the concepts that imprinted on him the strongest (which is fucked up if you look at all the negative concepts that carried over compared to positive.....), and we learned that Waynor still identifies as male, even if he doesn''t realize it himself (*Ahem* Name choice *Ahem Ahem*)


    and now the prize goes to the person who figures out how long this chapter took in the time-span of the story!!! btw: the prize is internet cookies, so........


    anyway imma probably post another chapter today......... help me out by pointing out any major errors in the chapter, i found a word that WAS that when i typed it in Word..... it became THot when i moved it to RR........ THot people, THot.... needless to say there may be more mistakes like that, or just in my own writing...


    [th_096_K.gif]


    Author out

 Chapter 2: Spike traps, And the gender now known as Waynor ........

    ..................... ok, now before reading this chapter you should keep in mind one thing: our MC has the maturity of an emotionally stunted and abused 14 year old. things like love, affection, the innate kindness of others, and other such positive "I grew up loved" things are a fair bit beyond what he understands at this point in the story. then add on the reincarnation as a dungeon, a basically neuter and cold existence that craves to cause the deaths of others in the majority of cases, as well as the memory loss and you get how Waynor is now. he is mostly innocent as far as most things go so lots of stuff is gonna go over his head for a while.


    i promise that by either the middle or end of ark 2 he will have matured and will recognize more of these sorts of things. Waynor isn''t dense, just very emotionally stunted.


    that said here is your chapter: ENJOY!!!!


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    <hr />


    <hr />


    Ever since I awoke, I have been learning to use my abilities and spend my power efficiently. I learned that absorbing power, while steady and constant, does not give much power quickly. I learned that I can create and shape things as I imagine as long as I have enough power and it is within my territory, which I can vaguely feel the borders of at all times. I learned that I can expand my territory by channeling power into it and willing it to grow, though my menu won¡¯t display its exact size anymore for some reason. I learned that anything that dies or is left in my dungeon is recycled, a process that allows me to either add the thing to my creation database and storage or convert it for power. Then there was the fact that my dungeon was like a sort of extension of myself and my senses were attuned to every part of it, that had taken some getting used to at first. I was also able to sort of have my mind leave my core body and travel freely anywhere within my territory, it was an extremely useful skill for growing my dungeon and I was glad to have it.


    I also learned that while everything cost power, doing things in different ways could change the cost significantly. After that discovery, I made it my goal to use my power in the most efficient way I was able to, whenever I was able to. Usually this involved me actually taking an active role in creating or changing things myself rather than just a point and think approach. This meant I would spend time actively controlling power and using it to carefully engrave the walls of my core room with elegant flowing designs, instead of just imagining them into being there and offering up power. Usually this active method allows me to save up to half the power cost of doing something, though sometimes it is more and sometimes it is less. It took quite some time to get used to manipulating things without actually being able to physically touch them, but I had all but mastered the art within a week.


    I liked this method for another reason as well, it allowed me to create things of true beauty and art in a way that felt like the one to truly create them was myself. I once tried to make a column just by imagining what it would look like and how strong it should be, it was made, but it didn¡¯t bring me much joy. When I instead imagined the materials that would make up the column and used mana to directly design, shape, and engrave it, it only took me a mere five minutes more and made me fell proud and happy in a way the other method did not.


    Instinct once told me that this was not a method that the old Instinct would have used, or in other words it was not the method of the average normal dungeon, as I had learned that is what the old Instinct once was. I didn¡¯t mind. I don¡¯t really care much what it was other dungeons would do, as long as they did not infringe upon me of course.


    That was the other half of my discoveries since awakening came in, with Instinct. Instinct was different now, no longer the cold and logical being that was bound solely by rationality, now Instinct could think and do things the way it chose. Apparently when Instinct remade itself, it made itself based on what it determined were my needs and preferences along with the various things it had obtained from the memories and knowledge of countless victims it inherited as a dungeon that was born of another dungeon. When I or ¡°it¡± came along I was beginning to form my own soul stone, or core, and become a new dungeon within Instinct''s territory. Instinct explained that normally I would¡¯ve just been destroyed as a potential threat, but it had thought that it could increase and better itself by incorporating me into its own core, killing all that made me what I was in the process. That backfired horribly for the old Instinct, and Instinct only existed now due to my, what the old Instinct thought of as ignorant, allowance of its continued existence as a will tied to me. That Instinct was an existence that was so bound by cold logic and reason it gave up trying to resist me destroying it when it learned I was the better core, said something about the average dungeon as well. I felt rather sad when I found that out.


    That said this currant Instinct is nothing like the old one, it can still give the cold logical and rational reasoning and viewpoint of the average dungeon when I need it, but most times Instinct is not like that. Instinct is now more than just a will, but a new type of being neither of us fully understands. Instinct has a personality and a mindset that it created by carefully selecting and piecing together fragments of its parents old victims as well as pieces of my own that were taken from shed pieces of my dying core. At first I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about that, but soon I just accepted it. Instinct was Instinct and it was just that simple.


    I was actually much happier with Instinct like this, now it was like I had a real companion instead of what the old Instinct who merely answered my questions was. I didn¡¯t even realize that I had been lonely before I learned the concepts that governed loneliness, but now with Instinct like this it wasn¡¯t really that bad anymore.


    Beyond those many discoveries, I was able to gain a greater understanding of more abstract things as well. Concepts that I had ideas about and recognized, but did not understand. Things that might not matter to other dungeons but mattered to me. I with the help of Instinct was able to make many things clear to myself, and also to Instinct at the same time.


    After talking with Instinct and working together to explain the concept of time and time keeping I had, we spent what I found out was an entire day honing and refining it to a point that could be easily understood and was apparently what was largely known and accepted as the correct form. I had learned that there were 42 hours in a day and 300 days in a year. There were also 7 days in a week and 25 days in a month. i also found out that I had first met Instinct well over 10,000,000 years ago.


    After time we started on conflict, a subject that I myself found rather strange. What was the point, really? I found out the answer to that question after I first experienced the joy of being the victor, due to series of a contests between myself and Instinct. After that I understood that winning was fun and brought joy, while losing brought only shame and sadness. Instinct explained that there was far more to conflict then that, and that even wars between dungeons, known as dungeon battles, were common and very dangerous. I didn¡¯t really bother with that reasoning, the idea of losing had already been stripped from my desires with just that simple contest. I resolved that I would enjoy conflict, but I would be careful and do everything possible to win. Instinct said that my view on it was like a normal dungeon in some ways, but also very much not.


    After conflict we started on life, death and various peoples and creatures. I was alive and so was Instinct, neither of us wanted to ever die and we would do anything to see that we never did. That part was simple, it was the part about the various peoples that took some time. I already knew that there were all sorts of creatures from my reading of the dungeon menu, but I didn¡¯t know much of anything about the types of people. Unfortunately, neither did Instinct so all we got from it were names and loose physical descriptions. Things like elves: pointy ears and slender, or dwarves: stocky, bearded, and short were what I learned. So far I knew of only seven races of people, but since Instinct said that there might be more I was sure there was.


    Things went on like that for many weeks. I, while Talking with Instinct and learning all sorts new things, would create and build my own dungeon. I had expanded my dungeon to have 6 beautiful rooms that I had just begun to consider trapping when it happened. Instinct brought up a concept that I had not even bothered to consider before¡­


    <hr />


    I was looking between my menu and the farthest room from my core, I was deciding whether or not I should start adding traps and other deterrents to my dungeon now or later after I had more floors. I could see the advantages of both options, and since my dungeon was closed off to the outside world excluding a small pinprick of an opening made to keep me from becoming unwell or my core from destroying itself, there was no real reason to rush. I was far more concerned with how my dungeon looked than the level of deadliness it had right now. I wanted my dungeon to be majestic, both visually stunning and unbelievably deadly. It would be my masterpiece, the ultimate dungeon to surpass all others, but that would take a lot of time¡­ for now I was content to just create it slowly and carefully.


    I looked at my menu and began to weigh my options once again.


    [ Name: Waynor               Titles: ¡°Icon of Patience¡±, ¡°Self-Named Dungeon¡±, ¡°The One Who Endures¡±        Rank: N/A                Dominion Level: 0            Territory: N/A ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 173} { Animus: 144 }     Class: ???             State: flawless core]


    [ Floors: 1            Rooms: 6             Inhabitants (slaves/livestock/pets/etc¡­ included): {???: 1}          Traps (magical/physical/other¡­): {none: 0} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: expansion, building, decoration, design, trap creation, core growth} {Animus: dungeon lord creation, inhabitant creation, soul stone creation/granting, name bestowal,  mutation/evolution/etc¡­, core growth} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: magic, deconstruction, siphoning, absorption, portation (in-dungeon), Teleportation, item/magic recycling (automatic)} {Animus: siphoning, absorption, remodification/recreation, life recycling (automatic)} ]


    [ Stored/Owned Creations (organic): {Dungeon lord: 1} Stored/Owned Creations (inorganic)      Possible/Purchasable Creations: {¡Þ} ]


    Even with all my work to reduce the power cost of growing and building up my dungeon, I was still losing mana far faster than I¡¯d like. Since I could get 10 points of mana a day by constantly having my core body absorb more from the surroundings, I could continue working like this, but it was my own personal rule to never have less than a value of 100 in either of the powers. I didn¡¯t want to have to have need of them one day, but not have any left to use. And since even after all these weeks I had only gained 1 point more of animus power, which makes sense since there really isn¡¯t much that is alive that would have large amounts of animus here, I decided that I would wait before trying anything that used or cost animus to do.


    Which brought me back to traps, I didn¡¯t know how to make a trap on my own. If I followed my usual strategy of just buying one as an example to see it and how it worked before using my efficient make it directly method, I would be down to just 123 mana for just the basic spike trap.


    Only 23 mana might not be enough to work with for my first time experimenting with something new¡­ but then again who knows how many ideas I could get and the new knowledge I could gain from that one trap? Maybe it would be enough to offset the risk? I mean making walls, columns, pillars, decorations, flooring, and furniture are all kinda self-explanatory¡­.. After seeing and playing around with a few different styles I can make them just about in any way you can think of¡­. But Instinct says that traps and creatures and deterrents are all unique, and that each one in the menu could teach me something new I couldn¡¯t learn from the other types¡­.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I kept going back and forth.


    Hmmmm¡­.. Maybe Instinct can help me decide.


    I recalled myself back to the core room and my core body, I also opened myself to the mental connection I shared with Instinct. When I felt Instinct through the connection I was ready to ask for Instinct to help me resolve my problem.


    Instinct, should I buy a trap now or should I wait for my core to gain more mana first? Which one do you think I should do and which one would a normal dungeon do?


    I could sense that Instinct was pleased I brought it my problem and valued it¡¯s thoughts so highly, the happiness I could sense coming from Instinct was only overshadowed by that other emotion I couldn¡¯t understand that had been constantly present ever since I awoke.


    Well, I can see the advantages to both, but if it were me I would wait before getting the trap. We don¡¯t need it to deal with prey or dangers right now, and you won¡¯t be able to do everything you want with it now since you won¡¯t have enough mana. A normal dungeon would just get it now since it had the power to do so, but then again a normal dungeon would also just place the trap instead of trying to figure out all its hidden workings and secrets like you do, Waynor. (Instinct)


    I thought as much, but I just wanted to be sure. Instinct¡¯s opinion was the final thing I needed to decide that waiting was probably the better idea after all. I let the menu fade out of my perception and began to relax and settle in for a nice little wait. A week or so should be good enough for me to gain enough mana to get the trap yet still make and place plenty of my own versions after playing around with it.


    As I waited just taking in the beauty of my core room. Its arches and columns engraved with elegant swirling lines of liquid gemstones of blue, green, and purple that lead up to and encircled my core at the center of the room in an elegant and symmetrical manner. The high concaved ceiling that used reflective metals to spread the light from my dungeon¡¯s only opening throughout this and the other rooms. The pedestal that I had changed to smooth dark rock that was blacker than midnight and drew the eye to the immaculate silver brilliance of Instinct and to an even greater degree myself. My core even glowed brightly now that I had power which only helped add to the effect I wanted, now if only it could be bigger. I just didn¡¯t have the power to waste on growing my core, nor did my core really need to grow and become harder to damage when it wasn¡¯t under any threat at the moment. That would be something I did only when I felt I was ready to open my dungeon up to the outside world, not now when I was still preparing.


    I admired my home and thought of all the ways I could improve it to make it more secure and most importantly beautiful and to my taste, like how I should really get my own internal light sources instead of relying only on the light from the pinprick and metal that didn¡¯t quite meet with my tastes. I was thinking of light crystals or something similar, perhaps magic¡­ Either way it wouldn¡¯t be for quite some time now, but that was fine I could wait.


    Hey Waynor, I .....umm¡­.. I have had this thing I wanted to confirm with you for a while now¡­ What is the way you conceptualize your gender? Do you have one? (Instinct)


    I almost didn¡¯t even process what I just heard. Instinct had asked me strange questions before, but this one was on something that I had never even thought to consider before. What was my gender? Did I have one? Was I male? Female? Both? Neither? Neuter? Were there more? Could my gender be dungeon?


    I just felt like me. Could Waynor just be my name and my gender? I would be Waynor a Waynor dungeon. No, that sounded silly, but I honestly hadn¡¯t ever given this issue thought.


    I need some time to think about it on my own, ok Instinct?


    I could feel amusement in the words Instinct next spoke.


    That¡¯s fine, I already know my gender after all¡­.. (Instinct)


    I became curious at hearing that. If I knew what gender Instinct was it might help me make my own choice. Or better yet I could just follow Instinct¡¯s example. Yes I liked that idea, it was much easier and let me go back to focusing on much more important things like whether or not I should light my dungeon with crystals, magic, or some organic option in the future.


    What is it?


    Secret. I¡¯ll leave you to figure out what gender you already are or what gender you choose to be on your own. Good luck Waynor. (Instinct)


    I felt Instinct leave our connection, and was left to only the solitude of my own mind.


    ¡­¡­¡­.. What gender am I? Do I even have one? No, probably not, huh¡­¡­.. I guess I could pick then. Now that means the new question is what gender do I want to be? ¡­¡­¡­¡­Hmmmm I can see advantages to all of them, but I can only pick one right? Hmmmm I cant mess this up, I don¡¯t think I get a do over for this¡­¡­


    <hr />


    I spent days pondering over this choice. I had narrowed it down to male, female, and the gender now known as Waynor as my final options. I was leaning heavily towards the last one though.


    As I took apart and restructured a basic spike trap and learned how much pressure it took to depress the pressure plate and release the spike, I once again went over my options.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Well I guess I could be a female¡­¡­ females do tend to be more naturally beautiful and elegant I think¡­. That would definitely be a plus, but then there is the whole biological downside. I don¡¯t want my dungeon lord to be plagued with monthly cycles, or anything else that might effect its body for the worse. Then there is male, they tend to be stronger which again is a plus, but then there is the lack of that natural beauty and grace¡­¡­ the gender now known as Waynor lets me get all sorts of pluses, but has the downside of sounding super silly¡­¡­ Huh, I wish Instinct would¡¯ve just told me what it was¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    I was making my own improved version of the spike trap that I had just experimented with when I had a sudden realization. I was a dungeon and I could make my own dungeon lord body in any way I so please, which means I can add as much natural beauty and grace to a male as I want. Which means I won¡¯t have to deal with the female¡¯s negative biological constraints or the general embarrassment of having to refer to my gender as the gender now known as Waynor! I had an answer! At last an answer!


    Let me just test it real quick. ¡°Did you hear about Waynor, he¡¯s a dungeon.¡± "I might have heard of him, is he the one that has that amazing spike trap?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. I like it. Seems like it was kinda always meant for me too¡­¡­. Huh, weird¡­. Oh well, let¡¯s go tell Instinct!


    I finished putting up another of my new spike traps before I returned back to my core room and my body. I immediately opened the link to Instinct once I was there.


    So, you figure it out Waynor, or are you here to ask for MY gender once again? (Instinct)


    I couldn¡¯t help that a bit of smugness colored my voice when I spoke.


    Nope, I figured it out all on my own thank you! I¡¯m a male!


    I felt a strange mix of emotions come off of Instinct followed by laughter.


    Kukukukukuku¡­. That¡¯s rather perfect because I, my dear Waynor, am female. (Instinct)


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure how that was perfect though, I would think that us actually being the same gender would be closer to perfect. Though I guess if Instinct is female, that would mean she should have different views on certain things than I would as a male. I guess that could be useful to have that other view point at my disposal, maybe this is rather perfect after all.


    Oh, ok I see how that could be the case. I¡¯m going to go finish placing all the new traps now, after that I¡¯ll need your thoughts on whether moss that glows can be trimmed into or grown naturally as some specific shapes.


    Oh, ok Waynor. I¡¯ll just be here working on the next steps. (Instinct)


    I was confused at that, what next steps did she mean? And why did I feel such a strong wave of emotions coming off Instinct right now. It was actually making me slightly sick to sense them all, I think it was overflooding my little core with too much at once.


    Um, what steps? And could you please lessen your emotions a bit, they are kinda making me feel sick, Instinct.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­..OH!!! Uh ah, yeah sure thing Waynor. I¡¯m nice and calm now, see? And I was thinking about the steps to¡­¡­ make moss into shapes? (Instinct)


    I could feel the rampant emotions from before wane into nothing but simple calmness, and I felt that uncomfortable sensation that was growing in me before lessen to nothing.


    Oh, ok then.


    I severed the connection to Instinct and went back to where I was setting up my first hallway, which I made by extending the distance of my territory and my furthest room, with its own field of spike traps. When I was done here I would add randomly placed spike traps with the left over mana, before I started my next project. This was so much fun!


    Ah, having a gender is nice and all, but nothing beats growing the dungeon!!! Maybe I can work on pitfall traps next¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    <hr />


    [ Name: Waynor               Titles: ¡°Icon of Patience¡±, ¡°Self-Named Dungeon¡±, ¡°The One Who Endures¡±        Rank: N/A                Dominion Level: 0            Territory: N/A ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 141} { Animus: 144 }     Class: ???             State: flawless core]


    [ Floors: 1            Rooms: 6             Inhabitants (slaves/livestock/pets/etc¡­ included): {???: 1}          Traps (magical/physical/other¡­): {spike: 67} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: expansion, building, decoration, design, trap creation, core growth} {Animus: dungeon lord creation, inhabitant creation, soul stone creation/granting, name bestowal,  mutation/evolution/etc¡­, core growth} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: magic, deconstruction, siphoning, absorption, portation (in-dungeon), Teleportation, item/magic recycling (automatic)} {Animus: siphoning, absorption, remodification/recreation, life recycling (automatic)} ]


    [ Stored/Owned Creations (organic): {Dungeon lord: 1} Stored/Owned Creations (inorganic)      Possible/Purchasable Creations: {¡Þ} ]


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    so that''s that people....... i think that''s all imma do for today, more on the way tomorrow. also i decided to put an up to date version of Waynor''s dungeon menu at the end of every chapter for you guys. comment and tell me whether or not you like the idea of that, or have some other idea to help everyone track what Waynor''s dungeon has in it at whatever point in time.


    oh, and i''m thinking of giving the first side chapter to Instinct, and just start a future chapter (that i MIGHT get to by tomorrow depending on my writing speed....) with a POV from an upcoming person...... your thoughts?


    otherwise you all know the drill: comment with your love, rate the story with more love, share it with all who would appreciate a story like this, pat yourself on the back for being an amazing fan and doing even one of these things let alone all three, then dont forget to favorite or follow!!!!


    and that''s everything. Sally be with you..... (No Sally wont be in this story....... yet.... maybe...... i''ll think about it....)


    [th_0gotas.gif]


    Author out........

 Chapter 3: Of mazes, insects, and invaders ....................

    ok so i''m a little sick........ i am taking the rest of the day to nap and take some meds........


    next chapter will have multiple POVs and might be split in two depending on its length..... i''ll write it when i feel better....


    here''s your chapter: ENJOY!!!


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    <hr />


    <hr />


    For months I had been expanding my territory, making a few new rooms, and experimenting with all sorts of traps. I had even begun to work on a new project of mine, a labyrinth maze that I wanted to span at least a few miles. It currently only had a few twists, turns, and dead ends, but when it was finished I¡¯m sure it would be the perfectly beautiful and deadly maze I wanted.


    Instinct and I have also been working on my dungeon¡¯s lighting issue during this time, and together we decided that since my dungeon would continue to grow forever we could do ALL the ideas, but at first we should start with the option that cost the least amount of power. So now my first floor is lit by a mix of the pinprick during the day and some carefully placed lesser light crystals at night. The effect isn¡¯t quite what I wanted, but for now it will serve until I have more power to work on the issue with.


    I had also made the discovery, with Instinct''s guidance, that I could in fact speak. It was really just a disembodied voice that transmitted itself into the minds of those within a certain range of wherever my mind was inside my dungeon, but with this ability I could eventually communicate with others besides just Instinct. The sheer amount of opportunities that this ability brought made it priceless in my mind, and with it I was sure that I would learn many new things in the future.


    There was also something amazing that happened, my dungeon had its first visitor. It was an insect of some sort that expanded and crawled through the pinprick one day. I repaired the opining back to its small size again after it was inside though, I didn¡¯t want too many things from the outside coming in. I think that the insect was some sort of ant or termite, but I didn¡¯t really know and neither did Instinct. I liked watching it, and I even tried to take care of it for a while despite Instincts insistence that it might be a dangerous threat. Unfortunately the insect I thought of as my first pet and was even considering names for died after only two days, its death made me slightly sad, but not nearly as much as I thought it would. It might have helped that its death gave me 2 animus and allowed me to take its corpse into my storage database, I could now create or alter more of that species at any time and without spending power to understand and unlock the species in my menu. I was very happy about that, and my joy outweighed any sadness I felt over my almost pet¡¯s death.


    When I discovered that simple way to gain animus faster, I opened a thousand more ant/termite sized holes to the surface all around my dungeon. I was careful though and had either myself or Instinct when I was busy with growing the dungeon, monitor them closely. I didn¡¯t want anything dangerous to get in, but I didn¡¯t think insects would be much of a threat to me. With the addition of those new openings I was able to absorb more mana and animus into my core, and also got a few new insects to enter my dungeon.


    It was during that time I found something out that I had never considered before, that I really liked having things live in my dungeon. It brought me a strange sort of joy to know that they were there, but it was even more fun to just watch them. Even Instinct, after she assured herself that they weren¡¯t a danger, liked to watch them. I asked her about why I enjoyed the insects so much and she told me ¡°Waynor, you¡¯re a dungeon, even if you are a unique one. You will discover that there will be many things that just naturally make you feel certain ways. One such thing is creating and growing your dungeon which will always be an urge that makes you happy, another is the presence of life inside your dungeon that will make you feel many different things¡­ You¡¯ll experience and feel more with time, so just enjoy and follow your feelings as they come and don¡¯t question them too much, ok Waynor?¡±.


    I decided to follow her advice and just went with my feelings. I would work on my dungeon, expanding it and placing new traps and deterrents every day thanks to the newly increased daily mana gains, then I would watch the many insects that now lived in my dungeon. I watched them as they made nests and moved around, some even hunted each other which for some reason brought me much more happiness than anything else they did. This soon became a routine, and at times even Instinct would join me in this new routine of mine. Having the insects inside my dungeon truly was a good thing, they let me gain more animus and gave me even more when they died. All the new types of insect that died added to my slowly growing database, and even when they lived it was just fun to watch them. The only real downside was that they were not very beautiful in any way, and many were not very elegant at all.


    One day I had the urge to try something new, I had gained a few hundred more points of animus and I wanted to try using them to create an insect of my own design. I accessed my internal database and used animus to make something new that combined and changed things about all the insects that I had stored there. I made the base a lot like the ant like insects, but gave it poisonous and detachable stingers, eight elegant legs instead of its normal six, improved its compound eyes into a two single enhanced eyes that functioned in a similar but better way as the less beautiful compound eyes, made it solid black with only a few streaks of green on its carapace, and lastly I increased its size to about two feet long and a foot high. I named this new creation a Mite, and created one male and one female.


    When I had created my own Mites, I noticed that many things changed. My dungeon rank changed to 0, my menu updated itself, the mite species was added to my database, and most importantly my feelings changed. I thought of the other insects from the surface no longer as welcome guests, but as invaders whose only value was in the amusement and power they could bring me by being here. Instinct told me that this was normal for dungeons, and that I had only felt differently before because I was incomplete due to not having all the parts of a mature dungeon. Now I did: traps, rooms, a floor, an opening, a core, organic life, and power. I had reached maturity as a dungeon, and with that change came a change in how I perceived those things that would enter my dungeon. I wasn¡¯t concerned by this change, it felt natural and Instinct assured me it was normal so it didn¡¯t bother me.


    I went to work creating a small room and hive nest for my new insects, and also began to create more of them. Instinct said that over time whatever life I created would eventually breed and make more of themselves naturally if they were able to. She explained that it usually took a male and a female to do this, but there were some times when that was not the case.


    When I learned that I used even more animus and went into greater depth with my mites. I gave them a lifespan of about a year, had them mate, gestate, and lay at least five eggs in as little as one day, and go through breeding cycles every week. I had spent well over two hundred animus to create the mites, and adding these new points to the Mites brought me down to 104 animus. It was worth it though.


    For a few weeks my mites simply hunted and breed, but soon something strange happened. There was a new type of Mite, one that was always female and just breed constantly, it could also lay hundreds of eggs in a day. Instinct called it a variant, I incorporated one into my data base and redubbed it ¡°Mite hive mother¡±. I made some minor changes to it and the mites at large once again, making them more aggressive to outside invaders and giving them a strong instinct to build up, expand, and repair my dungeon. I also made it so that each hive would only ever have one mature mite hive mother at any one time, and made these hive mothers into a sort of leader for their hive while also holding aggression towards other hives. I even made my mites cannibalistic, though they would happily eat any other source of meat as well. I did these things to keep their population controlled and also gain the animus that came from mite deaths for my dungeon. that way the mites would both help me expand and grow my dungeon, while also serving as defenders and their own predators. I was very happy with them, and so was Instinct. She told me that my idea to have the mites also serve as to physically extend and build up my dungeon was unique and ingenious, and that other normal dungeons probably wouldn¡¯t have ever even thought to do so.


    It took only a few days for the mites to rid my dungeon of all the other insects, and with their growing numbers and tendency towards killing those mites from different hives I was gaining even more animus than I was mana now.


    I was thoroughly enjoying my mites, and I would constantly change and improve them whenever I had enough animus. Even expanding the dungeon became secondary for a time as I worked on the mites. I started with their intelligence, and over time and with the expense of much animus they became so intelligent they began to use strategy and developed three different forms of communication: a clicking squeak language, a pheromone language only they picked up on, and a mental language they used with me and Instinct. Next I gave them a sort of metallic webbing that they could use for traps or building, the webbing could be flexible and soft, or strong and hard as well as all sorts of levels of stickiness all depending on the mite and it¡¯s needs. I also gave them a rather strong acid that could help them build and create passageways in my dungeon, while also serving as a sort of weapon. Lastly I gave them the ability to regrow their stingers within a mere few minutes as well as strengthened and sharpened their mandibles and claws to the point that they could easily slice rock.


    The mites were always really friendly with me and Instinct, constantly telling us that they would dedicate themselves to us and the dungeon itself, and that none would ever harm us if they could ever possibly prevent it. That the mites were so loyal and nice to me brought me so much joy, my core almost couldn¡¯t handle it. I always thought it was strange that I liked the mites so much, yet didn¡¯t really seem to really care whenever they died, but the mites told me that was fine and Instinct told me that was natural. After a few weeks I just began to accept this contradiction in my feelings.


    Time passed and with the help of the mites I only needed to focus on expanding my dungeon territory in order to grow, which due to this had grown rather large. I had countless mite-made tunnels and rooms that I only needed to improve and beautify to my tastes before they were complete, and they had made my maze into something truly wondrous that spanned at least 3 miles and ascended and descended levels in multiple places. There was only one entrance, but there were thousands if not millions of dead ends and branch offs. I once asked a team of mites who helped with constructing it to try navigating it without guiding pheromones. After an hour they couldn¡¯t even find the way back to the entrance or the exit, and after three days they starved to death. I still need to make my maze more beautiful, but I think it is certainly deadly enough as it is now even without traps. I was still going to add traps to it though...


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    My dungeon now had 47 rooms as well as 12 hidden hive rooms for the mites to live in and also many tunnels and hallways, and now I was even considering adding a new floor. Instinct said that I should have done that once I had 10 rooms, but I wanted to wait until I made more. I was thinking that now might be the time though. That is until something strange happened¡­¡­¡­..


    <hr />


    I was working on decorating the walls of my maze with the team of mites that were one of my many teams of personal helpers. Ever since their hive mother moved to my core room and said that they would serve me directly as aids and guards, I have always had a team of about 100 mites follow my mind throughout my dungeon to help me. Of course I had to learn how to alert them to where my mind was at all times, but with some animus and mana I learned that I could color what Instinct calls my astral projection. She also told me that coloring it so that it was visible defeated its purpose, but I think it is fine. Plus I can always go back to not being a blue and silver orb of haze, so there¡¯s no worries.


    Hmmm¡­¡­¡­¡­ I want there to be a nice flowing tribal design, but maybe going for plain reflection like a maze of mirrors would be better? Maybe I can do both? Yes! I can just put the line designs at the top and bottom of the walls! Then it could be like the walls of my maze have a framing effect!!!


    I pulled closer to my team of mites and projected my ¡°voice¡±.


    ¡°Ok, I figured out what we are going to do. We are going with tribal line design 5, and I want there to be two on each wall. One a foot from the ceiling and one a foot off the ground. We are going with my signature accent color scheme of green, blue, and purple done in liquid gemstone, and the main wall will be reflective silver. It should look something like this.¡± (Waynor)


    I made a portion of maze wall behind me match what I wanted. It took a few minutes because I wanted the base the mites used for reference on the rest of the maze to be utterly flawless and perfect.


    ¡°Now are there any questions?¡± (Waynor)


    I looked around at the mites, one moved forward and sent to me.


    How fast do you wish this done master? (Mite team leader)


    ¡­¡­¡­. Hmmmmm well, there is a lot of maze to cover¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¡°As fast as it needs to be to be done perfectly and beautifully. There is no need to rush, just take as much time as you need. I will be laying traps as you work so I might not be able to help you all with something immediately, and remember to be careful when handling the liquid gemstone. I don¡¯t want any accidental and wasteful deaths on this project, ok?¡± (Waynor)


    Yes master/lord/great dungeon/Waynor!!! (all the mites)


    ¡°Good, now let¡¯s get to work!¡± (Waynor)


    <hr />


    As I was setting one of my spiked pitfall mixed collapsing ceiling traps, I felt something strange. It was like when the mites dug an opening when they were expanding, but this time the opening didn¡¯t close up and instead there was a shaking sensation. Then I felt invaders enter my dungeon, but not something small like an insect. These invaders seemed bigger than my mites.


    I immediately looked around, all the mites had stopped working and were looking in the direction where I felt the intruders. They were also talking in that clicking language of theirs really fast.


    I felt Instinct reach out to me.


    Waynor, we have intruders! Human intruders! You have to come back, we need to make sure your core is protected! (Instinct)


    I felt the immense fear and concern that Instinct had. It was starting to make me sick again, and actually began causing my core pain. I could understand why she might be scared, I kinda was to. I wasn¡¯t ready for invaders yet, I wanted another 100 years at least to prepare! Even still, I was more curious than I was scared. I wanted to see a human, to try talking to one even. After I did that then I could get them to leave, or if that didn¡¯t work I could go back and work with Instinct on ways to protect my core while they tangled with my dungeon.


    Instinct, Seal off all tunnels accessible to the area the invaders are in that bypass the maze. I want to try something......


    DON¡¯T!!! I can¡¯t make any changes to an area that has invaders in it anyway! Only you can do something like that Waynor, and that¡¯s too risky! (Instinct)


    The concern I felt from Instinct was really starting to make me unwell, it felt like my core was bursting. Maybe I should look into growing it soon.


    Ok then, I¡¯ll ask the mites to do it then. I¡¯m going to go investigate the humans, Instinct you manage the mites in case the humans turn out to be hostile.


    I severed the connection to Instinct before she could respond. She would¡¯ve probably tried to stop me, but I needed to do this. Humans were something new, and I really wanted to know more about them besides they walk on two legs, are tallish, and can do pretty much everything the other races can, and sometimes better. This was my chance to find out more.


    ¡°Seal off all tunnels accessible to the area the invaders are in that bypass the maze. I want them to have to go through the maze if they are to get to any path that leads to my core room.¡± (Waynor)


    Yes master/lord/great dungeon/Waynor!!! (all the mites)


    After I heard that I began to move towards where the invaders were¡­.


    <hr />


    That is a big opening¡­¡­¡­.


    I was looking at the farthest room from my core, the one that now had a huge opening that seemed to have been blasted into it. There were lots of humans here too, some were in shiny metal or hides and holding big sticks or other shiny metal stick things, those were the ones crowding around the opining and there looked to be a lot of them. Then there were the other two, one who was really pretty and seemed female, and another who was bleeding all over my nicely polished floor and seemed to be a sleeping male.


    The female had water coming from her eyes and kept shaking the male and saying things like "wake up" or "please". She should really just let him sleep, he needs sleep to heal and he has lost blood so he needs to heal. Instinct always said that humans were one of the more fragile races and they couldn¡¯t lose too much blood if they were to survive.


    I was currently in the middle of the room watching the humans without coloring myself. They hadn¡¯t noticed me there and I was fine with that, even if I supposedly couldn¡¯t be harmed like this.


    ¡°Ey, this is a Dungeon is¡¯n it? Old Richy¡¯s explosion magic turned up a dungeon! And the dice says it¡¯s level one or lower too! This job just keeps pay¡¯n out more and more¡­¡­.¡± (Random metal human)


    ¡°Hey, shut it Barry! We still need to take care of these noble brats, AFTER we do that we can raid this low level dungeon for some extra cash. Get it? AFTER Barry¡­¡± (Leader type metal human)


    The female looked up at that while the other humans talked to each other.


    ¡°D-dungeon? M-maybe I-I could¡­¡­.¡± (Female human)


    The female was saying something really quietly, it was hard to hear over the other humans so I moved closer to her. Suddenly she shouted out loudly.


    ¡°I ask for the protection of this dungeon for myself and my brother, and in return I offer up myself as compensation! This I do swear on my very soul! Please help us!!!¡± (Female human)


    I was surprised by her shouting, but even more surprised by the thing that popped up on my menu.


    [ Human: Hanna Tultsven has offered you a contract. Do you accept? ]


    ¡°Quick someone stop the little bitch, she¡¯s trying to make a deal with the dungeon!¡± (Random metal human 2)


    ¡°You actually think the dungeon will care? Or even do anything besides try to kill her if it did? Relax man, we got the girl cornered¡­¡± (Random metal human 3)


    I looked at the female. She was beautiful, if rather dirty, and she was a human so she could probably tell me much more about humans. I made myself colored and visible again.


    ¡°I accept.¡± (Waynor)


    I tried something I never had before, and tried porting the female and the male she was holding. It worked and they fell through the hazy circle of mana I placed below them, I felt them land safely in one of the rooms near my core room. The only downside was it cost so much mana I only had 14 now.


    Haaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Oh well, I guess I¡¯ll have to wait for more before I can seal up this opening¡­.. I guess I¡¯ll ask these others to leave now.


    ¡°Please leave, I don¡¯t want any other outsiders here right now.¡± (Waynor)


    I left the humans to return back to my core, and those other humans I decided to keep. These humans could either leave, or they could help me better my dungeon by being a sort of test for it. Either way I benefited.


    I wonder what they will chose¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    <hr />


    [ Name: Waynor               Titles: ¡°Icon of Patience¡±, ¡°Self-Named Dungeon¡±, ¡°The One Who Endures¡±        Rank: 0                 Dominion Level: 0            Territory: N/A ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 14 } { Animus: 1,298,767 }     Class: ???             State: flawless core]


    [ Floors: 1            Rooms: 47 (sub rooms: 183)        Inhabitants (slaves/livestock/pets/etc¡­ included): {???: 1} {Mites: 1,000,000+ (hive mothers: 12)    Traps (magical/physical/other¡­): {spike: 596} {pitfall: 421} {arrow: 327} {wall: 382} {ceiling: 106} {fire: 239} {poison: 135} {acid: 23} {maze: 1} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: expansion, building, decoration, design, trap creation, core growth} {Animus: dungeon lord creation, inhabitant creation, soul stone creation/granting, name bestowal,  mutation/evolution/etc¡­, core growth} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: magic, deconstruction, siphoning, absorption, portation (in-dungeon), Teleportation, item/magic recycling (automatic)} {Animus: siphoning, absorption, remodification/recreation, life recycling (automatic)} ]


    [ Stored/Owned Creations (organic): {Dungeon lord: 1} Stored/Owned Creations (inorganic)      Possible/Purchasable Creations: {¡Þ} ]


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    same as the last ending foot note....... to sick to add more..........


    *edit* fixed it up and added things i missed due to sickness.... it should read a lot better now and make much more sense.


    Author out.....

 Chapter 4 (Part 1): Enter the dungeon

    so i''m feeling a good bit better than i was yesterday, but i''m not sure how long that will last with today''s pollen count....... imma try and finish part 2 of this chapter and release it by today, but i make no promises......


    oh and i cleaned up and added some stuff to last chapter that i missed becuase i was writing while sick.... go back and check that out and answer that chapters new poll to help me figure out the order of my releases.... thanks a bunch....


    oh, and i think the next chapter will be fun for you guys to read, i suggest humming "and another one bites the dust" while you do for added fun. and yes i made dungeon dice a thing.... and yes the explorer''s guild and explorers themselves are like their adventurer equivalents in a lot of ways, just with more enphasis on actually.... well.... EXPLORING and discovering stuff......


    anyway here is your chapter, or at least part of it: ENJOY!!!!!


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    Hanna Tultsven


    <hr />


    I was never really meant to be born. My father was a member of the illustrious slaver family Tultsven, but he went against the family by falling in love and running away with one of his slaves. He had to carve a new and business out for himself practically singlehandedly, and he was somehow able to start up his own rather successful slave training and trading business.


    My mother, the slave that my father ran away with, was set free of her collar and made a free woman. She helped my father set up his business, and later when my father was granted a title she helped run his household.


    My brother and I were born only after our parents were well known to be a successful merchant family and also minor nobility in the kingdom of Aldorn. My twin brother, Ulisus, inherited our father¡¯s family¡¯s gift for enslavement magic, a rare talent that was only found in slaver families, and enchanting. I on the other hand did not inherit anything besides my mother¡¯s beauty.


    I wanted to help my brother when he took over father¡¯s business, so I learned many things: math, accounting, reading, writing, business, contracts, negotiation, and most importantly the art of training and managing people. I was a recognized and gifted slave trainer by the age 11, and by 14 I could handle the entire financial portion of the business on my own.


    Ulisus wasn¡¯t idle in his childhood either, my brother learned the complex arts of enslavement magic and enchanting directly from our father. He was taught the things that made the slaver families so powerful and so respected worldwide, he was taught how to enchant slave collars and slave seals. It took my brother many years to complete his training with our father, and even then he was far from our father¡¯s level of mastery.


    When we were 15, our mother died leaving our father a widower. Father became depressed, a mere shell of who he was before, and threw himself entirely into his business. This new devotion caused the business to thrive like never before, and even began to threaten the profits of other branches of major slaver families in the kingdom.


    Maybe that was the real reason that on Ulisus and I¡¯s 17th birthday a group of mercenaries broke into our home. They killed father, and captured Ulisus and I, they were saying things like how their client didn¡¯t care about what happened to us as long as we were ¡°No longer a problem¡±. They told us that we were going to be sold as slaves ourselves, and that it was justice that we would have to live on the otherside of things from now on. I guess in a twisted and horrible way that even could¡¯ve been true.


    We were moved out of the kingdom, and traveled off any major roads or paths that could lead to the group encountering any curious eyes that would ask about us. I guess they didn¡¯t want the attention two tied and gagged well dressed, if dirtied, people like Ulisus and myself would bring.


    While the mercenaries traveled, they would constantly throw comments or make passes at me. My brother valiantly, if foolishly, always came to my defense with insults and threats, it only got him beaten though. The only reason I could find that explained why I wasn¡¯t raped and Ulisus wasn¡¯t killed was that slaves sell better as virgins, and Ulisus would be worthless as a corpse.


    It was when we were in the northern forests, close to the border with elven lands and near a rocky area that was known to have frequent earthquake like shaking, when we made our move.


    One night, after almost a week of travel a chance came. It was night, and while most of the men were sleeping one of the guards wondered farther into the woods to relieve himself. When he returned, he passed by where Ulisus and I were kept. I spread my legs as wide as my binds would allow and gave him the most seductive look I could, all the while nudging Ulisus to warn him of what I was trying. The guard walked over to me wearing a sick smile without even a moment¡¯s hesitation. While he was distracted and fiddling with the opening of his trousers, Ulisus kicked him in the side of his knee causing him to collapse onto the ground. After a loud struggle Ulisus and I managed to knock the man unconscious and seize his knife.


    Ulisus cut himself free of the ropes they bound us with then picked me up while placing the knife in my hands. The camp was starting to stir from the commotion we had caused. My brother ran into cover of the trees while holding me in his arms, a feat that was very impressive given how weak and tired he must¡¯ve been from our captors starving us. While Ulisus ran I used the knife to sever the ropes that were binding my hands and arms, though I didn¡¯t dare attempt to reach for the ropes binding my feet.


    <hr />


    Ulisus ran all night, and only stopped when we came to the flat grassy plain that lead up to the rocky outcropping. He set me down, and I severed the last of my bindings before helping him to look for a safe place where we could rest. We found a little hidey hole in the cover of some of the larger rocks, and decided to rest there.


    We slept for a long time, but were awoken by the sounds of armed men approaching us. That was when we knew, the mercenaries had found us. Ulisus was the one who noticed what they were doing and he shielded me with his body as an explosion slammed into the place we were hiding.


    We were thrown into a place that seemed to be inside the rocky outcropping at the foothills of the mountain. It was a rather splendid place, with polished stone walls and floors decorated with beautiful designs of many colors. Unfortunately I couldn¡¯t take in much of the beauty of the place as my eyes came to rest on the bloody and broken body of my brother. If I didn¡¯t see the way Ulisus¡¯ chest rose and fell or didn¡¯t hear the panting breaths he took, I would¡¯ve thought he was dead. He was bleeding from what looked like everywhere on his body, and his left limbs were bent in an unnatural direction.


    I crawled closer to him, ignoring the minor pains moving caused me. I might have a few bruises and sprains, but that was nothing compared to what Ulisus got in protecting me. I propped my brother up so he rested against me, and tried gently shaking him and telling him to wake up and that we had to move away from here.


    I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly, and the sight of my brother¡¯s broken form in my blurry tear clouded vision wasn¡¯t helping me calm down.


    I heard when the men came, but I didn¡¯t move. Maybe they would give my brother some treatment to keep him alive, after all he had no value if he was dead.


    It¡¯s better to be a slave than to be dead¡­. And if I have to become a slave as well to save Ulisus¡¯ life, then that is the price I will gladly pay.


    The mercenaries hadn¡¯t come into this place yet, they were just standing outside talking about finding something. A dungeon. I looked up when I heard that word.


    This is a dungeon? Then maybe if some of the tales about them are true¡­¡­..


    ¡°D-dungeon? M-maybe I-I could¡­¡­.¡± (Hanna)


    I resolved myself to at least try. The worst that could come of it was nothing happening after all, and in that case I would just resign my and my brother¡¯s fates to the men that ruined our lives. But before that I wanted to at least try, try to make a deal with this dungeon.


    I spoke out, making my voice as strong and official sounding as I could. I knew that when proposing a deal, one had to be confident and offer something to the other party. I only had one thing I could really offer though, I just hoped that it was enough¡­


    ¡°I ask for the protection of this dungeon for myself and my brother, and in return I offer up myself as compensation! This I do swear on my very soul! Please help us!!!¡± (Hanna)


    The mercenary a recognized as one of the group¡¯s main mages started to step forward, only to be stopped by the far younger man next to him.


    ¡°Quick someone stop the little bitch, she¡¯s trying to make a deal with the dungeon!¡± (Mage mercenary)


    ¡°You actually think the dungeon will care? Or even do anything besides try to kill her if it did? Relax man, we got the girl cornered¡­¡± (Young mercenary)


    That was when I heard it. It was a voice, like that of a young boy, but it resounded only in my head and not like what was normal. Its words were pleasant sounding, and tinted with the tone of curiosity. I knew at once that this was the voice of the dungeon, what was known as the dungeon heart¡¯s will.


    ¡°I accept.¡± (Dungeon)


    I suddenly felt the ground beneath me fall away, and Ulisus and I fell only a few inches to land in an entirely new place. An entirely new place that was utterly filled with giant bug monsters. Giant bug monsters that all started clicking and squeaking when we landed.


    I braced myself for death, hoping only that the dungeon honored our deal and spared my brother.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­. Maybe I should have taken my chances with those foul men¡­¡­. At least I knew what they wanted and how they would think and act¡­¡­


    Suddenly the noises stopped as the bug monsters gave us more space, though they still watched us. Then I heard the mystifying voice of a woman, much like I heard the voice of the dungeon.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.¡°I see that Waynor has decided to spare you. I assume he has his reasons, but I don¡¯t like this¡­.  Even if you are his now and have sworn yourself to him. If you or that other dying human try anything I think might hurt Waynor, I¡¯ll have the mites kill and eat you. Is that clear, human?¡± (Other dungeon?)


    I just nodded my head, and started to cry again. We were safe, at least we were for now, but it came at such a cost. I may have just sold my soul to something evil, and my brother was still barely holding on to life. I couldn¡¯t do anything more except tend to some of his wounds, and try and make Waynor comfortable as I waited for our fate.


    ¡­¡­¡­.. I should¡¯ve never had to experience this, neither should have Ulisus¡­¡­¡­ I guess what people say is true after all, huh? Your life really does change at 17 when you become an adult¡­..


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    Tero Bloody-Fist


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    I¡¯m the leader of a band of swords, and wands too I guess, for hire. We made a name for ourselves by being willing to do any job, no matter how illegal or ¡°wrong¡± it might be. Me and the Bloody-Fist crew only cared about one thing in our jobs, how much they paid.


    That¡¯s why when an anonymous client approached us through a middleman about taking care of some troublesome merchant who just so happened to also be a risen noble of the Aldorn kingdom, all for more goldettes most crews would see in a lifetime, me and the guys jumped at the offer. We were even told we could do whatever we wanted with the man¡¯s children, as long as they wouldn¡¯t be able to follow in their father¡¯s footsteps and cause our client any trouble.


    We took that to be an easy money job. After some of my guys did a bit of recon on their manor house and main shop, something made easy when they posed as interested and rich potential customers, we found out that their wasn¡¯t all that much security. Sure, there were some guards, but even at the manor there were never more than 10 or so posted at any given time. Another plus was the noble brats, they were both reportedly good looking and talented so I thought we could make a decent bonus by selling them off as slaves to the elves. The elves were always happy to buy human slaves, I guess they thought of it as some sort of revenge for all the elves that humans abducted and enslaved during underground raids.


    We found out that there was gonna be some sort of private party held soon at the man¡¯s manor, and that all three of our targets would be there with only a handful of other people and some guards. I figured that this would be the perfect time to strike. I organized some 45 of my guys into a raiding band, and sent the rest ahead of us to the elven boarder so that they could begin working out a deal for our little bonuses. I would lead the raiding band myself and my right hand woman would head up the negotiations, our plans were perfect.


    When the day of the party arrived, my band and I hit the place fast and hard. We killed most of the guards before they had a chance to fight back, but I made sure that the boys with me didn¡¯t do anything to those noble looking guests. If we did something to the wrong person, our lives could become infinitely harder in the future after all. After the manor was under our control, I gave the scared nobles a little speech about how we weren¡¯t there to hurt them just to do a job. Utter bullshit of course, but it did keep them from trying anything and us having to kill them for it.


    The man of the hour we found rather quickly, he had tried to seal himself of in some office type room once the fighting had started. I had some of the guys break down the locked door and cut off the man¡¯s head, simple. Finding his two brats on the other hand took almost an hour of searching, an hour of searching with me standing in a grand entrance room calming some spoiled nobles who had never seen someone hold the severed head of a man before. It was like they didn¡¯t know we needed proof of death to get payed for our job, and dealing with those hoity-toity bastards was beginning to make me contemplate just killing them all to be done with them. Eventually one of my guys, Barry, found the two missing soon-to-be-slaves in some secret room under the office their father was in.


    After we found those two, who after some questioning I found out turned out to be quite the catch indeed and had just stepped into adulthood, we gagged them and bound them in ropes so they couldn¡¯t try anything funny. I lead my boys in a fast if not orderly exit, and let the nobles who were there leave once we were out of the manor.


    All and all the job went well, most of the boys even managed to steal some things that looked like they could be worth something while they were searching and we didn¡¯t have to make enemies with some noble house for killing one of their spoiled cousins or offspring or something. To avoid any wandering eyes or hero type explorers while we worked our way to the elven border, I kept my boys off the roads and had us move through the wilds of the forests and plains. I had already sent ahead a few of our fastest guys to meet with our client¡¯s middleman and give him the target¡¯s head, this way we could collect the fee once we had sold these brats off without worrying about if the head¡¯s decay would impact our pay. I had seen stuff like that happen on a few jobs like this, and I didn¡¯t want to risk losing any of Bloody-Fist¡¯s agreed upon 10,000 goldettes.


    The travel went alright for the most part, though I did have to remind some of the men not to kill the boy or rape the girl a few times. No sense in decreasing our profits because of a few men¡¯s momentary lack of control after all.


    That all changed though, the night that the two brats made a run for it. It had taken us all night to track them down, and we might not have found them if old Richy hadn¡¯t thought to put a trace on the girl. Just in case the mage had said, I had never been so grateful for the old man¡¯s paranoia before. Tracking them we came to a mountain¡¯s rocky outcropping close to the boarder, I had already had enough of the damn brats and didn¡¯t feel like searching a mile of rock that popped up to far away from its parent mountain to actually matter. That¡¯s why I told Richy to just cast a spell near them to smoke them out of hiding, I didn¡¯t expect the old mage to use his strongest spell: Explosion.


    When the dust had settled I saw that Richy¡¯s magic had uncovered some sort of hidden room inside the rock formation. It was hidden dungeon, and since Barry¡¯s dungeon dice had come up as only 1 every time he rolled it, this dungeon was likely new and possibly even lower than level 1. I had to remind Barry that selling off the brats came first though.


    Said brats were inside the dungeons room, and the boy looked to be pretty beat to hell. I figured that old Richy or one of the other mage types might be able to fix him up, and if not then I guess I would just have to dock Richy¡¯s cut for the loss. My men were all excited and talking amongst themselves at the prospect of finding a new dungeon that may have never been discovered before, there was even talk of how much bringing in its core would bring us. I expected this though and let them talk, it was important for a leader to let things like this slide sometimes especially when I myself was practically drooling at the thought of selling that dungeon core. Depending on its size we could sell the legendary soul stone that a core became after it was killed for over 100,000 goldettes, it could increase our profits by ten times!


    The one thing I didn¡¯t expect though was for the girl to make some deal with the dungeon, or for the dungeon to actually ACCEPT that deal. When the brats disappeared into some portal that appeared on the floor under them for a moment, I heard the dungeon tell us that we should leave.


    I was furious, but I held my temper in check for now. There was still profit that could be made here, it would just take some extra time.


    ¡°Barry, Hitch, Stick, you three go find Vera and tell her we had a bit of a problem with a dungeon. The rest of us will go ahead and do some scouting of this place. You might want to hurry back quickly though, we might have already conquered it by the time you return¡­¡± (Tero)


    <hr />


    [ Name: Waynor               Titles: ¡°Icon of Patience¡±, ¡°Self-Named Dungeon¡±, ¡°The One Who Endures¡±        Rank: 0                 Dominion Level: 0            Territory: N/A ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 14} { Animus: 1,298,767 }     Class: ???             State: flawless core]


    [ Floors: 1            Rooms: 47 (sub rooms: 183)        Inhabitants (slaves/livestock/pets/etc¡­ included): {???: 1} {humans: 1} {Mites: 1,000,000+ (hive mothers: 12)    Traps (magical/physical/other¡­): {spike: 596} {pitfall: 421} {arrow: 327} {wall: 382} {ceiling: 106} {fire: 239} {poison: 135} {acid: 23} {maze: 1} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: expansion, building, decoration, design, trap creation, core growth} {Animus: dungeon lord creation, inhabitant creation, soul stone creation/granting, name bestowal,  mutation/evolution/etc¡­, core growth} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: magic, deconstruction, siphoning, absorption, portation (in-dungeon), Teleportation, item/magic recycling (automatic)} {Animus: siphoning, absorption, remodification/recreation, life recycling (automatic)} ]


    [ Stored/Owned Creations (organic): {Dungeon lord: 1} Stored/Owned Creations (inorganic)      Possible/Purchasable Creations: {¡Þ} ]


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    so yep..... the next part of the chapter we have Waynor''s POV again, followed by Tero''s again..... huh i wonder what Tero''s POV could be about?


    anyway place your bets people! will Ulisus die? will he live? will the Bloody-Fist crew earn a profit? make your guesses and place your bets!!!


    oh, and do all that comment, rate, follow, favorite, and review stuff that fans do, too. you should have a better idea of how this story is by now to rate and review it with now.....


    [th_096_K.gif]


    Author Out.....

 Chapter 4 (Part 2): Enter the dungeon

    I MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYY have made a little mstake by posting this chapter on the wrong fiction at first..... i blame the medication i''m on right now......


    anyway, since this part came out so F!#!@#@# long i decided to just make the slaughterfest as chapter 5...... should be an interesting read as i''m thinking of having a Mite leader POV as well as Tero''s POV so that you all get both sides of the show.....


    anyway this chapter should explain why doing things like adding humaniods will be a roundabout process that''ll go something like Goblin-> improved goblin-> humaniod goblin-> something new and awesome that is basically its own new race of people


    will it happen? Yes.


    will we see things that are human like soon? around chapter 7 or 8ish.... 11 at the latest....


    that one guy who commented about fruit monsters? there will be plant monsters soon, some stuff has to happen first then it should be fun since there will be a little mite expedition out of the dungeon....


    mite varients? yes there are a few more......


    other stuff? wait and see.......


    oh and due remember that Waynor is in fact a dungeon, there are no twists like he''s just a trapped soul in a dungeon core or some other shit, he is just a dungeon core. a slightly weird one that is effected by holdovers of its past life (which is the reason for his obsession with beauty/finding beauty in things and gaining knowledge/reading/learning) yes, but still a dungeon core with all the urges, desires, and instincts (hence the title) that come with being one.


    anyway here is the chapter: ENJOY!!!!


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    When I arrived back at my core room, I had the mites bring the two humans that I decided to take in to this room. I figured that with so many mites in the room to help protect my core I should be safe. Just in case though, Instinct told me she was watching the humans very closely.


    I was currently looking at the female human called Hanna, and the male human called Ulisus. She had been telling me about who they were and why they were here, but after she got to a certain point in her explanation of herself and the act of crying, she suddenly started asking me to save the one called Ulisus who was apparently her brother.


    ¡­¡­¡­.I wish she would just finish her life story and explanations first, but I guess this is important to her¡­¡­. I wonder how I¡¯m supposed to save him¡­¡­ Doesn¡¯t he just heal by sleeping? The mites do that, and so do Instinct and I, so shouldn¡¯t humans do that too? I wonder¡­¡­ Maybe I should just ask Hanna after all?


    I looked at the girl and projected my voice.


    ¡°Wont he just heal by sleeping like he is? Isn¡¯t that how humans work, they sleep so that they can heal from their injures?¡± (Waynor)


    The girl, Hanna, I should remember to call her Hanna, names are really important after all. Hanna made a strange expression before shaking her head sideways.


    ¡°No! Humans don¡¯t heal like that! Besides he isn¡¯t sleeping, he¡¯s unconscious! Ulisus needs serious medical attention, probably even advanced healing magic!¡± (Hanna)


    I was shocked. What was the point of humans sleeping if it didn¡¯t heal them? That seemed vastly inefficient, if I was the one to design them I would have made them only need to sleep to heal just like the mites. That way there wouldn¡¯t be any problems like the one Ulisus had right now, and they could be active much more often.


    Yep, all I can see that as is a major design flaw¡­.. Who makes something that is alive, but can die so easily? It just seems silly that they can¡¯t even do anything to heal themselves naturally¡­.. I have to give them credit for appearance though, some of these humans really are beautiful¡­. They even have their own sort of grace as well, so they aren¡¯t that bad as creations¡­ just a bit flawed that¡¯s all. Maybe the one who made them ran out of animus and isn¡¯t done yet? That would explain a lot¡­.


    I was letting my mind wonder as I thought more on humans, that is I was until Hanna started shouting.


    ¡°Great Dungeon, PLEASE!!! You have to help him, my brother is DYING!!! I said I would offer myself to you, but only if you saved us! If he dies then Ulisus wasn¡¯t saved and our deal will be off!¡± (Hanna)


    ¡­ Oh, I didn¡¯t think he was so close to dying¡­. I guess that would explain the weird groaning sounds he is making and why he isn¡¯t giving me much animus at the moment¡­. I wonder how much animus I would get if  a human dies in my dungeon¡­¡­ I guess it would be more than a mite since mites gave more than insects, and humans are bigger than both mites AND insects. That makes sense I think. So I should get more than 5 animus per human death right? ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Oh, I should probably do something Hanna is crying harder now¡­¡­.


    That was something else I learned from Hanna in these last few minutes. When humans make water from their eyes it is called crying, something they usually only do when they are sad or in pain. The water itself though is called tears. Interesting.


    I pulled myself out of my reflection to talk again with Hanna, all the while I felt the other humans begin to move around my dungeon and mill around in the room I had just left.


    ¡°Alright then, I will save Ulisus, but after that you have to tell me more about humans and the outside world, ok?¡± (Waynor)


    Hanna¡¯s expression changed once again, only this time it was an expression that brought more beauty to her face than when she was crying. I liked it, though the crying look was also rather nice I think this one suited her features better.


    ¡°YES! After Ulisus is safe, I would be happy t-¡­¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Waynor, you don¡¯t actually have to do that. The contract she made with you was very loose ended and it could be interpreted that you have ALREADY saved them, and thus this human is already yours. As such you are no longer obligated to help them.¡± (Instinct)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Really? Huh¡­¡­. That does seem right, the contract thing in my menu already went away and it does say I have a human now¡­¡­¡­ oh well, healing Ulisus could help me understand humans better. It¡¯ll be like when I took the traps apart to figure out how they work, only in reverse this time. Plus it could be fun!


    ¡°That¡¯s ok Instinct, I decided that I want to do this.¡± (Waynor)


    I tried to use some of my animus on Ulisus, but nothing happened and my animus seemed to just move around him. Then I tried to use mana on him, because if animus didn¡¯t work maybe mana would. Nothing happened again. Out of frustration I tried to actively absorb him and add humans to my database to see if that could help, it didn¡¯t work.


    I just looked at the human bleeding on my floor. I couldn¡¯t understand why I wasn¡¯t able to do anything to him, it just didn¡¯t make any sense.


    ¡°Instinct, why can¡¯t I heal this human? And why does it seem like I can¡¯t do anything else to him either?¡± (Waynor)


    Hanna¡¯s expression changed again to a look I thought was rather funny looking. I could also feel that the other humans were moving and placing things in the room they were in, I found it strange that they weren¡¯t leaving that room. Maybe it would have been better if I had placed traps in there, then they would have probably moved on by now.


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean you can¡¯t help him? I thought you were going to save my brother!?!?¡± (Hanna)


    I felt Instinct open the connection between us.


    Waynor, dungeons can¡¯t directly do ANYTHING to the seven races of people, that¡¯s why they make traps and creations to deal with them instead of doing it themselves. The seven races are under direct governship, and to a far lesser extent protection, of higher beings. Unless one of the races has a soul stone inserted into itself dungeons wont be able to do much to the directly, even if they are bound by something. as long as they are still physically of those races the seven races are beyond your direct manipulation and alteration as a dungeon. This is why you won¡¯t be able to do anything besides directly absorb and siphion power from that boy since he¡¯s a human. (Instinct)


    Then can we just put a soul stone inside of him?


    No, you can only place soul stones into willing subjects or things that have no will, and only when they are in an undamaged condition. This boy meets neither of those requirements. (Instinct)


    Then how am I going to heal him?


    You could try not healing him, that is an option, you know. Besides you already have one human, we can just force her to tell us whatever you want know¡­.. (Instinct)


    Yes, but I would rather not waste the time, effort, and power to do that. Besides I like it when my creations and followers do what I say because they like me and they want to, it brings me joy.


    ¡­¡­¡­.. Oh, so you do have a dungeon¡¯s natural inclination towards dominating and ruling over things, just in a unique way. I thought you might not feel like that, but it turns out you just want them to WANT to serve you? Is that how you feel Waynor? (Instinct)


    I thought about what Instinct said. Yes, I did like that idea. The thought of the Instinct, the mites, Hanna, and whatever else I created or collected in the future serving me out of their own will and desires brought me great joy. I might have to change some of the things I collect so that they feel that way, but I think it would be fun to do that too. Besides the mites have already shown how much more efficient willing workers can be¡­


    Yes, that is how I feel. Here as I understand it I feel like it¡¯s something like this¡­¡­


    I sent the feelings I had on the subject of willing followers over the connection to Instinct. I felt her shock when she received it.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Well Waynor, I must say that in many ways your views are both very different and very similar to the typical dungeon¡­. Willing to torture, but to also compromise to gain the loyalty of others. Wanting to lead with absolute power, yet also caring for and trying to understand your followers¡­. I honestly am not sure if your views are na?ve or terrifying, Waynor¡­¡­ Either though way I¡¯ll support them. (Instinct)


    I felt happy that Instinct would help me, but I didn¡¯t understand how my views on this could ever be seen as terrifying. When I feel Immense pain, fear, or I am in danger should be the only terrifying things in this world, everything else just offered different levels of joy or sadness.


    Thank you Instinct!


    It is my purpose to aid you in all things you may require after all¡­. Now I have an idea on how we can save the human in a way that doesn¡¯t involve you directly healing his wounds, but it could take some time. (Instinct)


    That¡¯s ok, I¡¯m sure that Hanna can wait and Ulisus is something called ¡°unconscious¡± which I think means not conscious¡­. So it¡¯s like he¡¯s sleeping and he wont notice how much time it takes if he is sleeping. What do I do? ¡­¡­Oh, Hanna is making those weird expressions again, maybe we should tell her about this too?


    ¡­¡­¡­..Fine, but you shouldn¡¯t reveal that dungeons can¡¯t directly affect the seven races to her yet. I don¡¯t trust the human as much as you seem too¡­. (Instinct)


    I received the ideas and plans Instinct had to save Ulisus through our connection, but to start them I would probably need at least 300 more animus. I guess I could get that by having 60 mites die, but that seemed like far too much of a waste for just the first step to saving Ulisus. Besides I liked my mites, I didn¡¯t want to just order some to die only because I needed animus, they would kill other mites from different hives anyway even without my orders so there was no real need to do so.


    ¡°Alright Hanna, Instinct and I have come up with a way to save Ulisus. Instinct will explain more about how-¡­¡­ Oh, the other humans are finally moving! I want to go see how they do!¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°Ummm, great and mighty dungeon? About my brother........?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Calm yourself human, Waynor is being kind enough to bother with your selfish request even when he doesn¡¯t need to. Be grateful and just wait, it¡¯s not like we can do anything right now anyway.¡± (Instinct)


    Instinct, could you watch over Hanna, I¡¯m want to go watch the other humans test my dungeon.


    I felt amusement come through our connection from Instinct.


    Waynor, you do know you can watch them from here, right? (Instinct)


    I can?


    Yes, you just need to use your menu as a sort of viewing tool. In fact I was about to suggest that you project it out so that we all might watch this, your new human included. (Instinct)


    Oh, ok I¡¯ll try that then.


    I closed the connection with Instinct, and focused on my menu. When I thought about observing my dungeon, the menu changed into a view of my entire dungeon including the moving humans and my core room. When I tried just wanting to see the invaders of my dungeon the view changed and split to show the humans and a few insects that were apparently still alive. I tried again to show only invaders that I would think of as a possible threat and the view changed to only show the other humans. I saved this view type and the overview of my entire dungeon directly to my menu¡¯s main part so that I could access them easier in the future, then I tried projecting out the view.


    ¡°Wha¡­¡­¡­.. But that is¡­¡­ And those are¡­¡­..¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Yes human, this is just one of the many things Waynor can do. That is the power of the one who you now belong to, the power of the one who has decided to save your kin. Know this, as Waynor has decided to save the boy he will be saved, it will just take some time. To keep him alive we will preserve and seal his body as it is now, however we will require more animus to do so. Animus that Waynor will likely gain from the deaths of these other humans, only after we have this extra animus can we begin to work to save your brother. Do you understand this human?¡± (Instinct)


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Hanna nodded her head up and down while she mumbled something and cried more.


    ¡°Yes, I understand¡­. For Ulisus to live, they have to die and die soon¡­¡± (Hanna)


    One of the humans went into the hallway leading away from the room and stepped on one of the classic design spike traps. The spike embedded itself deep within the human¡¯s leg through its foot anchoring it to that spot. The human began to scream, and that sound brought me no small amount of joy. It was a beautiful sound, like it had its own melody and it expressed such depth of emotion. Yes that emotion might have been pain, but it wasn¡¯t my own pain nor was it the pain of Instinct, the mites, or even Hanna so it was fine. Besides that sound was the expression of a pure, unfiltered, and untainted emotion how could I not find it to hold its own beauty?


    The other humans began to make noises and talk amongst each other, one moved to approach the screaming human. That one stepped on and activated on of the spike traps of my own design that instead of coming straight up from directly below the pressure plate, had the spike come out diagonally a foot in front of the plate. The spike impaled the human through its chest and the human made a strange gurgling sound, I didn¡¯t really like that sound as it wasn¡¯t really beautiful at all. That said, it bring me some joy to see an invader die in my dungeon, Instinct told me about this feeling so I had expected it, but I didn¡¯t expect how right and natural it would feel.


    I checked the menu as I felt the influx of power into my core.


    [ Name: Waynor               Titles: ¡°Icon of Patience¡±, ¡°Self-Named Dungeon¡±, ¡°The One Who Endures¡±        Rank: 0                 Dominion Level: 0            Territory: N/A Dungeon Views: {invaders (threat)} {overview} ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 14} { Animus: 1,298,879 }     Class: ???             State: flawless core]


    [ Floors: 1            Rooms: 47 (sub rooms: 183)        Inhabitants (slaves/livestock/pets/etc¡­ included): {???: 1} {humans: 1} {Mites: 1,000,000+ (hive mothers: 12)    Traps (magical/physical/other¡­): {spike: 596} {pitfall: 421} {arrow: 327} {wall: 382} {ceiling: 106} {fire: 239} {poison: 135} {acid: 23} {maze: 1} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: expansion, building, decoration, design, trap creation, core growth} {Animus: dungeon lord creation, inhabitant creation, soul stone creation/granting, name bestowal,  mutation/evolution/etc¡­, core growth} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: magic, deconstruction, siphoning, absorption, portation (in-dungeon), Teleportation, item/magic recycling (automatic)} {Animus: siphoning, absorption, remodification/recreation, life recycling (automatic)} ]


    [ Stored/Owned Creations (organic): {Dungeon lord: 1} Stored/Owned Creations (inorganic)      Possible/Purchasable Creations: {¡Þ} ]


    ¡­..Oh, so humans give 112 animus when they die, huh¡­¡­.. That¡¯s a lot more than the 5 I get from mites or the 1-2 I got for insects¡­¡­.


    I watched as another human came forth to help the human who was still pinned by a spike trap, but had stopped screaming and was making these sort of whimpering sounds which were also rather nice. This new human circled around to the front of the pinned human and then gave a sort of hand signal to the other humans waiting in the room. He tried to separate the other human¡¯s leg from the spike by lifting it off the spike from its base. The first human began to scream again and when the human helping him final freed it, the third human fell backwards further into the hallway. As the first human landed in the safety of the room I had never gotten around to finishing with the other humans, the human that freed it had fallen onto what looked like three spike traps and had been killed by either the one that went into its chest or its brain.


    I got 121 animus from that human, so I guess the animus I get from humans dying in my dungeon isn¡¯t uniform like it is with mites or as similar as it is with insects. That is new¡­¡­.


    The other humans began shouting about this not being right, or how this wasn¡¯t how things were supposed to work in dungeons. The human that looked like it was in charge shouted at them to be quiet and to calm down, he told them to start sweeping for traps before they moved and to step carefully. He also said something about reinforcements and sent two humans out of my dungeon.


    That was a real shame, it would have been more fun if they had stayed. They might have made more those screaming sounds and given me more animus, not to mention that their deaths would¡¯ve made me feel more joy. I guess it was ok though, there were still plenty of other humans for me to enjoy those things.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Hmmmmm, if some are just going to leave after the first hallway then it isn¡¯t much fun at all¡­¡­ maybe I should change my dungeon after this? Yes, I¡¯ll work on adding more levels instead of more rooms and have each level be more dangerous than the last. That way I can draw people in and by the time they realize they are my prey they will be too far in to turn back¡­ that seems like it¡¯s the right thing to do, and that idea makes me happy for some reason, so I¡¯ll just do that. Maybe Instinct and Hanna would know how dangerous I should make the first few levels? I¡¯ll ask them after these intruders are all dead, they should be able to help me¡­


    I looked at Hanna and saw that the girl had a strange expression on her face but also tears coming from her eyes. For some reason it didn¡¯t seem to look right, but that might just be because I wasn¡¯t used to humans yet.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡­.. They are dying¡­¡­ They¡¯ll all die, just like father did¡­.. Like mother did¡­.. They¡¯ll die so Ulisus doesn¡¯t have to¡­¡­ THIS is what justice is, do you understand now you evil men? THIS is the real justice you said I would see¡­¡­. Heh¡­.. hehehe¡­¡­ hehehahHAHAHAHAHAhahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!........¡± (Hanna)


    I opened up my connection to Instinct.


    What is wrong with Hanna? Is this normal for humans?


    No Waynor, what you are seeing is the result of my subtle psychological suggestions that the intruders had to die for her brother to live. That psychological pressure, the rather gruesome scene she just witnessed, and the general amount of stress that being in this sort of situation must have on the girl all seem to have mixed together with the inclusion some other sort of past trauma and pushed this girl to the brink of her own sanity. (Instinct)


    I felt pleasantly surprised at Instinct¡¯s level of insight into humans.


    Wow¡­ how did you figure all that out?


    I told you, I may not know much of anything important about the other 6 races I know of, but humans I DO know about to a degree. I do have the memories and thoughts of countless humans that fell prey to my parent dungeons stored in me after all, I just can¡¯t share them with you through our connection and the humans are so complex they are hard for me to explain. (Instinct)


    I do remember you saying that, that¡¯s why I wanted to talk to humans in the first place¡­¡­ And wait, why haven¡¯t I gotten any memories from any of the humans that just died?


    Because you are not the same type of dungeon as the one who was my¡­¡­¡­¡­ Father? Mother? .....Anyway you are not the same type of dungeon as one of my parents were so the best you would be able to do is create something to collect and store the memories itself, but even then you wouldn¡¯t be able to take them in just manipulate and move them. (Instinct)


    Oh¡­¡­. That¡¯s kinda sad¡­


    I looked back at Hanna who was still mumbling things and shaking a little.


    Um, Instinct did I break my first human? I didn¡¯t want to break Hanna? Can we fix her?


    I felt slight amusement coming from Instinct through our connection.


    No I don¡¯t think she is broken, at least not in any real way that would matter to you. Just start working on something to preserve her brother, preferably something that still lets her see his body for her own mental stability, and the girl should be fine. I suggest a sarcophagus made of clear sealing crystals¡­. (Instinct)


    Oh, ok¡­


    I severed the connection with Instinct, and began to look through my menu for the right material to seal Ulisus in so that he wouldn¡¯t die before I could save him. Hanna should be happy to serve me when I have saved her and saved her brother twice, but I still don¡¯t understand why they wanted to be saved from their fellow humans. Maybe humans were cannibalistic like my mites and these others are trying to eat them? I guess it didn¡¯t really matter though.


    I watched the humans advance through my dungeon as I browsed for a material I could buy with animus and seal Ulisus with. All the while I was thinking of ways I could make my dungeon seem easier and become more effective at luring in future prey.


    ¡°Die¡­. Die¡­. Die¡­. All of you should just die¡­. Just let this dungeon I¡¯ve sold myself to kill you¡­¡­. Let your deaths repent for ruining my life by saving my brother¡­¡­. Die¡­.. Die¡­.. Die¡­.. All of you should just die¡­.¡± (Hanna)


    I watched as the humans all left the room, I tried to close the big opening back up from here like I could with the other smaller openings. It would cost more mana, but I could live with that as I didn¡¯t want to miss what the humans were doing as I went to close it myself. The only problem is after a certain point it made me feel sick to close it anymore, so I stopped. The opening was now about 12 by 12 feet large. I closed the other thousand smaller openings besides the pinprick I still needed for light, it just felt like the right thing for me to do for some reason.


    I looked over to one of my personal teams of mites.


    ¡°Go guard the opening, I don¡¯t want anything else to come in and I don¡¯t want any more of the humans to leave.¡± (Waynor)


    Yes master/lord/great dungeon/Waynor!!! (Mite team)


    ¡°Good idea Waynor, it looks like you have a real opening now so you won¡¯t ever be able to close it more than that. That might be a problem for us for a while, but for now we should guard it until we can make our dungeon more secure. It¡¯s a shame it had to happen now though, I know you were hopping to have more time. Sorry Waynor¡­¡± (Instinct)


    I felt a little sad and also pretty excited at that. The prospect that my dungeon was now open to the outside world was slightly scary and might put me in danger, but it also offered so many new possibilities.


    I guess I may have to push up my plans for remodeling my dungeon to just after these humans die¡­¡­.. It¡¯s a shame but I guess I will have to sacrifice beauty for time at least for a little while¡­¡­ I guess after I made the changes I want and put in enough things to keep my core safe, I can go back and beautify everything¡­¡­¡­ Haaaaaaaahhhhhhhh, it¡¯s such a shame to have to compromise on beauty for time¡­¡­. OH! This stone seems like it would be perfect for Ulisus, and it¡¯s cheap to create!!!......................................


    <hr />


    [ Name: Waynor               Titles: ¡°Icon of Patience¡±, ¡°Self-Named Dungeon¡±, ¡°The One Who Endures¡±        Rank: 0                 Dominion Level: 0            Territory: N/A Dungeon Views: {invaders (threat)} {overview} ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 14} { Animus: 1,298,900  }     Class: ???             State: flawless core]


    [ Floors: 1            Rooms: 47 (sub rooms: 183)        Inhabitants (slaves/livestock/pets/etc¡­ included): {???: 1} {humans: 1} {Mites: 1,000,000+ (hive mothers: 12)}    Traps (magical/physical/other¡­): {spike: 596} {pitfall: 421} {arrow: 327} {wall: 382} {ceiling: 106} {fire: 239} {poison: 135} {acid: 23} {maze: 1} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: expansion, building, decoration, design, trap creation, core growth} {Animus: dungeon lord creation, inhabitant creation, soul stone creation/granting, name bestowal,  mutation/evolution/etc¡­, core growth} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: magic, deconstruction, siphoning, absorption, portation (in-dungeon), Teleportation, item/magic recycling (automatic)} {Animus: siphoning, absorption, remodification/recreation, life recycling (automatic)} ]


    [ Stored/Owned Creations (organic): {Dungeon lord: 1} Stored/Owned Creations (inorganic)      Possible/Purchasable Creations: {¡Þ} ]


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    and that''s that..... imma start on the next chapter today, but i highly doubt i will finish and release it unless i sacrifice some serious sleep time.


    btw: let me know if you guys like the idea of a Mite POV in the comments.


    same drill as last time: rate, review, follow, favorite, share, comment, and all that good stuff......


    Author out..........

 Chapter 5: A mites might, And a journey through hell

    so first let me say: FFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKK this was long..... i should''ve just waited for tomorrow to post this..... wait it is tomorrow now.... i should have just went to sleep instead of finishing this........


    also i noticed because of a comment, but i royally fucked up the animus values Waynor had in both parts of chapter 4, so go back and check those out for, you know, Waynor saving Ulisus (the first step to doing that at least...) and what happens in this chapter to make any rational sense.....


    anyway this is a chapter with split POVs of Tero and a mite. learn all about mite culture and their intricate code of honor and loyalty or follow Tero on his doomed mission and watch his descent into madness..... or you can do both like Waynor and Instinct did.... and Hanna did too (they kinda forced her)


    <del>anyway longass chapter that i want even bother editing or cleaning up until i get some sleep. it should be readable... maybe....</del>


    its all nice and cleaned up now..... should be plenty readibles........ well i''m off to go write a side story now.....


    here ya go: ENJOY!!!


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    Mite Leader (Waynor¡¯s personal team 8)


    <hr />


    We had been given a task by the master. We were to guard the opining of our home, to let none escape and none enter. I would lead my battle-kin in this, I would bring honor to my hive mother and to my kin who would not join us in this quest.


    My kind and I were creatures of battle. We understood what we were, and we accepted this with the highest gratitude to our master, creator, and the great dungeon that was our home. We would fight and kill others of our kind from different hives because it was what needed to be done, we needed the food and the other hive mothers were all a threat to each other. Though we were creatures constantly at war, my kind also shared one common interest that united us all. We all wished to protect and serve our master Waynor in any way we could.


    This simple fact was why neither I nor any of my battle-kin were surprised by the truce scents of all the twelve hives mixing throughout the dungeon. There was also a scent for a meeting council of hives, something that had only occurred once since our kind was created by the master.


    I turned to my battle-kin.


    ¡°The scent for council¡­.¡± (Leader)


    ¡°Yes. You should go, the hive mother would want you there.¡± (Male mite 1)


    ¡°We will continue on to carry out the will of the great dungeon.¡± (Female mite 1)


    ¡°Leader, it is your duty. Worry not this is not defying our master, we shall go ahead to guard the opining.¡± (Male mite 2)


    ¡°Yes, one more mite would not make much of a difference. Go to the council.¡± (Male mite 3)


    ¡°Leader go, you can return to us when the council has ended.¡± (Female mite 2)


    ¡°Thank you¡­. I shall return, hold fast and fight well until then. You must honor our master and fulfill his will.¡± (leader)


    ¡°Yes leader!!!¡± (Entire mite team)


    I followed the scent for the meeting of the council. It was my duty to assist my hive mother as a leader of my own team of battle-kin and I would see that duty done just as I would see my duty to the master done.


    Though if the day ever came when the master ordered me to raise my jaws in battle against my hive mother, I would not hesitate to do so¡­¡­ Just as I am sure all of my kind would not hesitate to do¡­..


    <hr />


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    <hr />


    Tero Bloody-Fist


    <hr />


    If this dungeon thought that it could tell ME what to do, I would have to show it who it was dealing with.


    I had my men move into the room and start to unload our gear, we would use this room as our camp and safe zone. If this dungeon was larger than we assumed it would be good to have a campsite already set up to return to. We should have more than enough supplies to last us until Vera and the reinforcements I sent for arrived.


    When we had the place set up to my liking, and the boys had been given some time to rest I decided it was time to start scouting. We had made a plan to make small pushes into the dungeon being sure to map the way as we went, we weren¡¯t by any means explorers so this sort of dungeon raiding wasn¡¯t something my crew and I were experienced with. Then again how much training could the explorer guild really give on dealing with dungeons and frontiers anyway? My crew could fight like soldiers, so I was sure that as long as we were careful to avoid a few traps and were ready to take on some corrupted animals or some weakass green goblins we would be fine.


    I readied the guys to move out as I took my place near the front of the band.


    ¡°Alright men, you know what to do. Skiener you¡¯re up front, scout for any dangerous corrupted animals or gobbies.¡± (Tero)


    ¡°Right''o boss, but if we find a good skin or two on those corrupted animals I¡¯m call¡¯n dibs on them here and now.¡± (Skiener)


    Skiener moved into the hallway, but came to a stop almost immediately. All I heard was a clicking noise when he stopped and then there was a sound of flesh tearing and bones crunching, then Skiener started screaming. Some of the men and I moved so that we could get a better view of what was happening, and that¡¯s when I saw that Skiener had tripped a sort of spike trap.


    ¡°RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± (Skiener)


    One of my men ran up to help Skiener, it was Thos I think. Once Thos was a few feet from Skiener there was another clicking sound, the next thing I knew Thos had a long metal spike through his chest and he was letting out his last death rattles.


    WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!?!?!?!?!? This should only be a level 1 or lower dungeon right? So how are there traps on the first fucking floor!?!?!


    The men were already pretty spooked by what happened to Skiener, but now I was hearing comments that sounded a lot like deserting the noble shits that were going to be our rightful reward for this job and just leaving this dungeon. I wouldn¡¯t have that, we were not going to just let good money slip from our fingers just because of some fucking dungeon.


    ¡°LISTEN UP!!! AND SKIENER SHUT THE FUCK UP FOR THE GODS¡¯ SAKE!!!!! ¡­¡­..Good, now here is what we¡¯re gonna do. Regg, you are going to go help Skiener, CAREFULLY. Be mindful of any more traps, but I doubt some level one dungeon would have much more than this on its first floor¡­.¡± (Tero)


    A man stepped forward, I didn¡¯t recall his name, but I did recognize his face. He was good with a sword, but better with a tankard.


    ¡°But boss, this explorer buddy of mine said that level 1 dungeons usually didn¡¯t have many traps at all, and they never had any on the first floor¡­..¡± (Middle aged merc man)


    ¡°Well this one did, maybe it added them when it picked up our noble friends¡­¡­ Either way it doesn¡¯t matter, we¡¯re still moving forward with this, we¡¯re still getting those two noble brats back, and I WILL be taking this dungeons core for all the trouble it has caused us! Now Regg hurry up and help Skiener!¡± (Tero)


    ¡°Umm¡­¡­. Yeah sure boss¡­.¡± (Regg)


    Regg moved around to the front of Skiener and began to lift his leg of the spike it was impaled with. Skiener started to scream again, but he was free soon enough. As Skiener fell back into the room with us, Regg fell backwards probably losing his balance when Skiener came free.


    I almost couldn¡¯t believe my eyes as more clicking noises sounded and Regg became the pin cushion of three more spikes. The men all started to make a commotion when they saw that, but I didn¡¯t let it grow or devolve into something more than that. I would NOT have dissention in my men.


    ¡°SHUT UP!!! Ok, so this wasn¡¯t the greatest of starts, but now we know what we are dealing with men. We continue forward, but watch for spike traps and any pressure plates. Test the ground where you walk with your fucking sword if you have to, but be careful for the gods¡¯ sake.¡± (Tero)


    The youngest boy in my band, the one who was friends with Skiener and was currently helping the man stand looked towards me. I think the boy¡¯s name was Garret.


    ¡°Boss, I don¡¯t think Skiener can go on like he is right now and none of our mages can heal something like this fast enough for him to keep up with the rest of us. I¡¯d like permission to stay back at the camp and to help treat him.¡± (Garret)


    Clever kid¡­¡­. He¡¯s clearly scared but he knows I would never allow his cowardice, so he came up with a reason to stay behind¡­.. And it¡¯s a rather good one too¡­..


    ¡°Fine, we should be back in a few hours. The rest of you, we¡¯re moving forward, and for fuck¡¯s sake be CAREFUL WHERE YOU STEP!!!!¡± (Tero)


    I began to walk down the hall way careful to avoid the tiles that sunk slightly when I tapped them with the end of my blade. The rest of my men followed suit, and I didn¡¯t hear another clicking sound as we advanced.


    This dungeon is going to pay me back for all it has cost me today, I swear it will¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    <hr />


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    <hr />


    Mite leader (Waynor¡¯s personal team 8)


    <hr />


    I stood before my Hive mother a mite whose abdomen alone was three times my size, the council had just ended and I dipped my head out of respect to the leader who to me was second only after the master.


    ¡°Hive mother.¡± (Leader)


    ¡°So you came after all, even when our lord personally gave you a separate task¡­¡± (Hive mother)


    I felt my abdomen twitch ever so slightly in shame.


    ¡°Yes, I felt it was my duty. My battle-kin have gone ahead and guard the opening even as we speak hive mother, fear not the masters will has been carried out.¡± (Leader)


    ¡°Very well¡­.. As you heard, the council has decreed that there will be a truce between all hives whenever invaders threaten our lord. We mites will not fight amongst ourselves when outsider defilers threaten our lord and home.¡± (Hive mother)


    ¡°Yes I understand hive mother.¡±


    ¡°Good. I want you to work with the other team leaders from the other hives to end these threats quickly. Our lord may find them useful for testing his traps, but he also wishes to see how we mites fare against them as well.¡± (Hive mother)


    My legs began to skitter slightly in anticipation, I could feel my desire to do battle against these invaders that would dare to oppose the master rise up.


    ¡°You are saying that I should lead my battle-kin against these invaders? But what of my mission to guard the opening?¡± (Leader)


    The hive mother¡¯s antennae twitched in amusement.


    ¡°That task has already been taken care of, a team from each hive has been sent there to guard the opening already. The lord and his aid approved of this change already as well. All you must do is rejoin your team of battle-kin and begin to hunt the invaders. Our hive was able to receive much honor by being the ones chosen for this task, do not fail us or dishonor our kin.¡± (Hive mother)


    I felt my own antennae twitch with joy.


    ¡°I will not fail Hive mother! I will bring honor and pride to our kin, our hive, and our master!¡± (Leader)


    ¡°Then go.¡± (Hive mother)


    I turned around and began to rush towards my battle-kin. We would spill the blood of our master¡¯s enemies this day!


    ¡­¡­¡­. I will prove myself worthy of the faith that the master and the hive mother placed in me¡­..


    <hr />


    When I arrived at the room with the opening I saw that the other teams had arrived and that my battle-kin had already slain one of the intruders. Another was watching us from outside the dungeon, but as long as it stayed outside it wasn¡¯t any concern of ours. We would leave it be as long as it did not invade the master¡¯s dungeon again.


    ¡°What are these things near the dead one?¡± (Leader)


    ¡°We think it¡¯s food and nesting stuffs, leader.¡± (Male mite 1)


    ¡­¡­¡­So they were planning to make a nest here? I see¡­¡­


    ¡°Seize what can be used for food, destroy the rest. The master can¡¯t recycle these things while the invaders are on the same floor, but he can get power from there destruction¡­¡± (Leader)


    ¡°Yes, leader. Brothers and sisters you heard the leader, take the food and destroy the rest!¡± (Male mite 1)


    I walked over to where there were two dead invaders hanging from some of the masters traps, we would have to reset the traps ourselves since the invaders were still on this floor. That was fine, but it also wasn¡¯t a task for my battle-kin. My battle-kin and I had a far more important task.


    ¡°My brothers and sisters, we have been given the honor of doing battle with and killing the invaders who dared to oppose our master. We shall track them, we shall find them, we shall hunt them, and we shall kill them down to the last!!!¡± (Leader)


    ¡°For the master/great dungeon/lord/Waynor!!!¡± (Waynor¡¯s personal mite team 8)


    My battle-kin and I left to track the invaders, leaving the other twelve teams to handle the work of guarding and repairing that room.


    As I lead my battle-kin towards the scent of the invaders, I had only a single thought.


    I hope that you are watching master, and I hope that I can bring you joy with my efforts¡­¡­.


    <hr />


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    <hr />


    Tero Bloody-Fist


    <hr />


    I was down to only four men, the rest were either dead or lost somewhere in these forsaken maze.


    Our scouting had gone well enough at first, the band had only lost one more man to the spike traps, but after the third room that changed. There were pitfall traps, some even had spikes or acid at the bottom of them, two of my swordsmen and a mage fell into a type of those pitfalls and died. Well I guess I can¡¯t say for sure that the second swordsman died, he just fell into a dark pit that we couldn¡¯t see an end to even when a mage cast a fireball down into it.


    At that point I decided that it might be time to turn back for now, but when we were retracing our steps we were ambushed by monsters. They weren¡¯t corrupted animals or green goblins either, they were bug monsters that had to be at least rank 3 and there was over fifty of them! We lost seven guys in that ambush and eleven more were injured. We were only able to kill a handful of the things too! It had to be less than ten, and I myself had to kill one of them. Their fucking carapaces were as hard as rock, they spat acid, had stingers with poison, webs that were stronger than any rope I¡¯ve ever seen, and their jaws and claws were as sharp as blades!


    I even saw one bite one of my men in half right in front of me, and then it just looked at me with those strangely humanoid and intelligent eyes¡­. It started to make this clicking noise and its antennae were doing this thing, and I could swear it was mocking me.


    We were able to pull away, but only because the monsters let us. They would let us move forward but would always attack us whenever we tried to move back, we would advance and when we found a place without traps we would rest and the mages with healing magic would heal us.


    This went on for a day, and we had lost seventeen more people from a mix of fire and arrow traps, a trap that squashed old Richy between two walls because he couldn¡¯t run out of a hallway fast enough, a few surprise attacks from the bug monsters, and lastly the room we thought was safe but actually was full of collapsing ceiling and ascending floor traps that descended and ascended at varied speed and slightly varied times once we were in the middle of it. That last one proved to be especially dangerous as if you went the wrong way or hesitated when trying to escape you would get sealed off and crushed between the heavy moving stone floor and ceiling. We lost five men in that room alone.


    That was when we came to the maze. It was a deathtrap worse than that of all the other things combined. We tried marking our way by nicking the walls down the path we went, but when we hit a dead end and began back tracking with the marks we would always come to a point where they just stopped after the third turn. It was like the walls just repaired themselves, but worse than that was the one time when there was a marked path. It lead us through more turns than anyone could remember taking, and then we walked straight into an ambush with the bug monsters waiting for us. The one that I could swear I recognized as the one that kept staring at me used its forelimb claw to nick the wall next to it in just the same way we did as marks. That was when I knew they were toying with us, and that was when my remaining men and I turned tail and ran. Some of the men got separated as we tried to escape the bug monsters, and I was down to only four of my men. Four men whose names I didn¡¯t even know.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    We had spent days wandering this maze, and the only reason we hadn¡¯t died yet was there apparently weren¡¯t any traps this far in. I had already given up hope of leaving this place alive, we had run out of food yesterday after all, but the thing that kept me going was my desire to kill this dungeon. I didn¡¯t even care about the money or the job anymore, I just wanted this evil fucking thing that killed so many of my people to die. That was all.


    That was the desire that drove me to killing my last four men in their sleep and using their bodies to keep up my strength. Their sacrifices gave me the sustenance I needed to go on.


    <hr />


    I traveled the maze for who knows how long, I might have even gone insane from this, but I didn¡¯t care. I just had one goal, and I would do anything to see it done.


    The worst part of this evil place is it¡¯s so damn pretty¡­.. It¡¯s like it wasn¡¯t a deathtrap designed by the abyss itself, but a carefully maintained piece of art¡­.. If I had seen this place before I knew what it was, I might have even said it was a beautiful paradise made for the highest of kings. All it was missing was the food, furniture, and staff¡­.. But all those pretty walls and colorful decorations hide what this place really is¡­. It¡¯s hell, this place is just hell¡­. It might even be a level of the abyss, in fact I bet that¡¯s it!!! I¡¯ve died and I¡¯m just wondering in one of the deeper levels of the abyss!!!


    ¡°Hek¡­.. Hek-hek¡­.. HekhahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!¡± (Tero)


    I was laughing, but I was also crying. I could feel the tears as they streamed down my face. I was an insane man that laughed as he cried wearing clothes that had long ago been soiled by his own filth. I didn¡¯t even have my prided sword anymore, it had been lost somewhere in this evil maze along with everything else that mattered to me.


    Who am I trying to fool? I can¡¯t kill this place, I never could¡­¡­ I should¡¯ve just swallowed my pride, cut my losses, and left when it offered¡­¡­. It¡­¡­ Offered¡­.? That¡¯s right, it warned me to leave didn¡¯t it? I was the one who decided to push onward, I was the one who ignored all the signs that this wasn¡¯t some level 1 dungeon¡­¡­. I was the one who caused my men to die¡­¡­. And then, I even¡­¡­ ate¡­¡­¡­. Oh fuck!!! Oh gods!!! What have I? But I had to!!! I had to because¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    I had forgotten why I even bothered to carry on, why I still fought. I had forgotten why I even bothered to continue living.


    That was when it came, that one bug monster who had so haunted me all this time. I was sure it was the same one, and it was alone. It just looked at me and made a squeak as it flexed its jaws.


    ¡°So this is what you wanted, huh? To face me alone¡­.. Is it because I killed one of your friends? Yeah, that¡¯s right I killed one of your kind right in front of you didn¡¯t I? Well I guess that¡¯s just justice for all of my people you killed you fucking MONSTER!!! SO COME ON!!! COME FIGHT ME, IF I CAN¡¯T KILL THIS PLACE THAN AT LEAST I CAN KILL YOU!!!!!¡± (Tero)


    As I ran at the creature and it at me, I was able to remember the last person I cared anything about. The little girl that I took in off the streets on a whim and raised like a daughter. The little girl who grew up and became my trusted second in command and earned the respect of the Bloody-Fist crew with her sheer determination and cleverness. The girl that I would probably never see again.


    I¡¯m sorry Vera, but it looks like you surpassed this warhorse again¡­¡­ Taking over and leading your own crew at 16? You beat me out by four years little girl¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    <hr />


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    Mite Leader (Waynor¡¯s personal team 8)


    <hr />


    We had proven ourselves against the invaders many times, and brought much honor to our hive, our kin, and even all others of our kind. We had shown the invaders the might of the mites that master created, and we were driving them deeper into the dungeon so that they could further test it for our master.


    First we proved ourselves as superior in battle when we first clashed with the invaders as they attempted to return to their nesting area, I even wet my jaws with the blood of one of them as I sliced it in half at its middle even through its shiny carapace like armor. I also found the leader of the invaders, one who earned my hatred and respect by killing one of my sister battle-kin in front of me. She was not the only one of my battle-kin to die as seven others fell to the invaders as well.


    I vowed to myself and my battle-kin that I would kill that invader leader myself for this loss.


    When the invaders fled further into the dungeon I let them go without pursuit, the master still needed them to test the dungeon with after all.


    I lead my battle-kin and we stalked and hunted the invaders as they advanced. Whenever they tried to turn back, we were there to stop and push them forward once again. We were herding the invaders through the dungeon so that they went through every room and meet every type of trap.


    We watched in amusement as the invaders fell one by one to our masters traps, and whenever they stopped too long for rest I would lead the charge to battle with them once again.


    My battle-kin and I kept the invaders scared, tired, and later starving as we drove them to the maze. The invaders had the audacity to mar our master¡¯s prided beautiful maze walls, something that brought our master great joy. We repaired the damage of course, however we soon discovered the reason they did this act. They were attempting to keep track of where they had come from, when I learned that I decided to use it against them.


    After swearing to repair the walls later, I mimicked the mars they made with one of my claws and lead them back to where my battle-kin lay in wait for them. When they arrived I saw the leader of the invaders and was sure he saw me to, so I made another mar on the wall next to me to mock its foolishness.


    The invaders ran and we pursued them, but not seriously. There were not many of the invaders left and they had even separated now. I had my battle-kin hunt those that went off in different directions while I and a mere five of my brothers and sisters tracked the invader¡¯s leader and those few with him.


    After a few days of following them we saw the invader leader kill and eat the other invaders. The leader abandoned its long claw weapon and carried the arm of one of the dead invaders instead. After the invader had moved farther on I picked up the long claw weapon and gave it to my brother, it would serve as my trophy for this mission.


    I told my battle-kin to find the other battle-kin of our team and to return with them to the opening. I said that I would handle the leader of the invaders myself.


    <hr />


    When I came across the leader of the invaders he was walking unsteadily and had a scent of foulness around him. It was almost shameful to look upon one who had once defeated one of my battle-kin in this state. It was like the invader had no honor, even if my entire hive were to be wiped out I would still hold my head high and offer the strength of my jaws to the master.


    ¡­¡­.Perhaps the invaders just know nothing of honor¡­.. Very well then, I will end this now and go meet the new invaders with my battle-kin¡­. The warning scent says that they are within view from the opening now, perhaps if I can end this quickly I can arrive at the opening before they do¡­..


    I looked at the invader.


    ¡°Let us end this.¡± (Leader)


    The invader began to make the sounds I now knew as invader speak, and when it began to charge towards me I responded in kind.


    We clashed and the invader held my jaws apart to keep them from closing. I had to respect this invaders strength, but it was not enough as I turned my head and removed one of its arms with my jaws. The invader made a loud scream and used the arm it had left to claw at my left eye. I screeched from the pain but I would not dishonor myself by letting it cow me. Raising my abdomen up under my body I stabbed the invader with my stinger and clawed at its body with my claws.


    It screamed and I screeched, but I was the stronger one of the two of us even if I was smaller. I forced my way up the invaders body enduring the strikes that seemed to lose strength by the moment, it seemed my poison was already at work. When I reached the invaders neck I wrapped my jaws around it and closed them.


    The invader¡¯s head fell to the ground and I leapt of its collapsing body, supporting myself on my five god legs. I looked at the dead body of the invader and let out a victory chirp.


    And so it is done¡­¡­.. I hope my victory brought you some measure of joy master¡­¡­.. I must sleep now to heal my wounds, a pity I could not meet these other new invaders alongside my battle-kin¡­¡­.


    As I prepared to rest and heal I heard the voice of my master.


    ¡°Wow¡­.. That was fun to watch, and oh look! I can do something new now! You can evolve into something new I create based of your currant body and the power it has collected¡­.. I didn¡¯t even think my creations could collect and store power¡­. Oh well, this should be fun and I might even be able to finish before the other humans arrive. That¡¯s good, Instinct wants you to do something, she said it should help keep anyone from entering my dungeon for a while. Will you do that for me when I¡¯m done evolving you?¡± (Master)


    I looked up and saw my master¡¯s silver and blue orb-like non-body hovering above me. He had watched my battle, he had enjoyed it and said it was fun. I was glad, but I didn¡¯t understand what my master meant by ¡°evolving¡±. That said if it brought him happiness I was glad to do it, I would also do whatever it was that the aid had master ask of me.


    ¡°Yes master. I am honored to do so.¡± (Leader)


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. Hmmmm¡­. I should have an enough animus for just one mite¡­.. Hey how about I give you a name too? You did really impress me, and the way you handled the humans was really fun to watch¡­¡­. Although Hanna didn¡¯t seem to like it all that much after she¡­. What did Instinct call it again? ¡®Regained her sanity and identity as a human being again¡¯ or something like that? Oh well, I liked it and I¡¯m sure Hanna will come around in time. So how about it, do you want a name?¡± (Master)


    I felt my whole body tremble with gratitude. My master had offered to name me. This was an honor beyond words.


    ¡°Yes my master, I would very much like to have a name¡­¡­..¡± (Leader)


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Ralt: (Warrior Mite), leader of Waynor¡¯s personal mite team 8, ¡°First of his kind¡±, ¡°Warrior of honor¡±


    <hr />


    As I walked into the new entrance room of my master¡¯s dungeon, I drew the attention of the humans outside and my own kin. It wasn¡¯t surprising really, since I had evolved I had more than doubled in size, grown jagged edges to my carapace that I could sharpen at will, and my carapace, jaws, and claws had all been hardened and sharpened by infusing my new evolution with the sword I took as a trophy, and just like the edges of my carapace I could now also soften them at will. My glossy black body was now as hard as good steel when I wanted it to be, but could also be almost as soft and giving as human skin, the only thing close to its softness I currently knew of that I could compare it to. The green streaks I once had were now a bright icy blue that showed to all that I was of a different caliber compared to the rest of my kin. I was the first of my kind, a warrior mite master called me, but soon those of my kind who met the conditions to evolve would take on this new form naturally, though they would be slightly smaller and their streaks would remain green as they were not named.


    I was also carefully carrying the severed head of the human that lead the other humans in their invasion of my master¡¯s dungeon. I was careful that I didn¡¯t damage the head or even break its skin with my jaws.


    I walked right up to the entrance of my master¡¯s dungeon and looked into the eyes of the human female that was clearly the leader of these 100 or so humans.


    I dropped the head onto the ground outside of my master¡¯s dungeon and stepped back just as I was told to do.


    The human woman stepped forward and picked up the head, her expression changed and took on something I now recognized as sadness. The woman stood and turned around.


    ¡°We are leaving, there is nothing for us here anymore¡­¡­¡± (Woman)


    One of the other humans stepped forward and began to speak in a language I could now understand.


    ¡°But Vera, that was the boss¡¯s-¡­..¡± (Male human)


    The woman began to speak in a tone I now understood as hostile and threatening.


    ¡°I said we were leaving and that there was nothing for us here, was that not clear enough for you Barry?¡± (Woman)


    The human man was cowed and stepped back into place amongst the other humans.


    The woman walked away but stopped after she had taken a few steps and turned her head back towards my kin and I.


    ¡°I was told you can speak like in the legends, dungeon. Know this, I thank you for returning my father to me, but that only makes us even as you were the one to kill him. I won¡¯t hold it against you, that¡¯s just the way of the world after all, but I won¡¯t help you by keeping your existence here a secret. I will be informing the explorers guild of your location, and for your own sake I suggest you play nicer with them than you did my father and his men.¡± (Woman)


    The woman began to walk forward again after she finished speaking, and the other humans followed along behind her.


    As I watched the large group of humans leave, I lost myself in my thoughts.


    Let them come, my master will have prepared and changed the dungeon to his liking by then¡­. If this ¡°explorers guild¡± comes in peace than my master will welcome them, but if they should mean him harm then they shall find out the true terror of my master¡­¡­. and they shall have to face me¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..


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    [ Name: Waynor               Titles: ¡°Icon of Patience¡±, ¡°Self-Named Dungeon¡±, ¡°The One Who Endures¡±        Rank: 0                 Dominion Level: 0            Territory: N/A Dungeon Views: {invaders (threat)} {overview} ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 592} { Animus: 780 }     Class: ???             State: flawless core]


    [ Floors: 1            Rooms: 47 (sub rooms: 183)        Inhabitants (slaves/livestock/pets/etc¡­ included): {???: 1} {humans: 1} {Mites: 1,000,000+ (Hive Mothers: 12) (Warrior Mites:1)}    Traps (magical/physical/other¡­): {spike: 596} {pitfall: 421} {arrow: 327} {wall: 382} {ceiling: 106} {fire: 239} {poison: 135} {acid: 23} {maze: 1} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: expansion, building, decoration, design, trap creation, core growth} {Animus: dungeon lord creation, inhabitant creation, soul stone creation/granting, name bestowal,  mutation/evolution/etc¡­, core growth} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: magic, deconstruction, siphoning, absorption, portation (in-dungeon), Teleportation, item/magic recycling (automatic)} {Animus: siphoning, absorption, remodification/recreation, life recycling (automatic)} ]


    [ Stored/Owned Creations (organic): {Dungeon lord: 1}{Mites: 1,000,000+}      Stored/Owned Creations (inorganic)      Possible/Purchasable Creations: {¡Þ} ]


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    <hr />


    <hr />


    now tell the truth..... how awesome was that? and who was routing for the bug?


    i kinda think imma make the side story next cuz this seems like a good time for it.... it''s gonna be MUCH shorter than this was, i''m thinking around 4ish pages just to give a look through Instinct''s eyes....... er....... Hands? i guess she doesn''t really have eyes as a dungeon core holder, huh? *note to self: work on getting Instinct a humaniod form so that anatomy puns will work on her.*


    anyway thats all, do that whole fan thing with the commenting and the rateing and stuff.... imma go sleep now....


    [th_0gotas.gif]


    Author out...

 Side Story, Instinct: An Instinctual Discovery

    sooooooooooooooo.......... i COULD''VE wrote more for this side story, but it had hit the 5 page mark and i was starting to run out of motivation to write more. really i would''ve just gone back through all the prior chapters just from Instinct''s POV instead of Waynor''s, and that doesn''t really add anything new to the story you guys cant just infer from what you read and what i gave you in this chapter....... that''s why i didn''t do that and instead stopped this side story where i thought it would be best ended, just before Waynor woke up.


    oh btw for anyone that was wondering Ralt is male. and Vera will be a returning character at some point, and yes she did tell the guild the dungeon talks, that''ll be important and you''ll see why soon.....


    anyway it should be fairly obvious to see how Instinct changes and becomes something that if not more human, at least less of a cold flat being controled by logic, reason, and some vague purpose......


    ENJOY!!!!


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    ???


    <hr />


    I had noticed something strange as I expanded into my 6th floor. There was another dungeon territory.


    At first I pulled back out of fear, I was far too young and small at this point to risk angering or infringing on an older and larger dungeon. The knowledge I was born with informed me that dungeon battles were often an all-out live or die conflicts for dungeons, and I would not be able to accomplish my purpose if I were to die.


    My purpose was simple. My purpose was to exist and to grow.


    There were things that impeded this purpose though, like the seven races I know from the information I was born with already stored in my database.


    Personally I had only ever encountered one of these races, the ones known as humans. They would periodically invade my dungeon, and I would attempt to kill them for my own amusement and the power there deaths would bring me. It was difficult with only a few traps and corrupted animals, but I had killed a total of 7 humans since I had been born. I wanted that number to grow as I did.


    But that couldn¡¯t happen if a stronger dungeon killed and absorbed my core here.


    I observed the other dungeon territory for a time, and I soon discovered it only spanned the size of a small core.


    I was relieved and at first planned to destroy this infant core, but I soon decided to absorb it and use it to grow and reinforce my own core.


    I expanded my territory around it and reached out to the core with my power directly.


    I tried to subdue the will inside that had yet to even come to awareness.


    I failed.


    I kept trying.


    I kept failing.


    The other core''s will brushed against my own.


    My core cracked.


    This other core was obviously the one better suited to exist between the two of us.


    I attempted one last effort to incorporate it into myself.


    It failed again.


    I gave up.


    The will of the new core became aware and the waves from its new awareness pummeled my own will.


    My core shattered, and my dungeon collapsed in on itself. The different dimensions woven together as my six floors came to nothing. I had lost my purpose and in the last moments before my will would have followed them, something touched me.


    It took me in, began to incorporate my will into its own.


    It was confused.


    It had no information from any parent dungeon in its database.


    It was a self-created core.


    It was blank, but it also had information hovering beyond its reach.


    It grasped at bits and pieces of the information I did not think it could reach.


    It took some of the information deep into itself.


    My will and thus I, began to become one with it.


    It did something to our merging.


    It was a being of singularity that rejected my will in favor of its own.


    It took nothing of my will, but it¡¯s own will grew nonetheless.


    I spoke with it.


    It was still confused.


    I shared with it my understanding of what was happening and what we were.


    It took this in.


    My will began to fade to nothing inside the vastness of its own will and being.


    We spoke more.


    I was nothing.


    It gave me a name.


    I was Instinct.


    It gave me a purpose.


    My purpose was to exist and by existing to aid it in any and all things it may require.


    It was na?ve to allow me to continue existing inside it.


    It was na?ve but it was also kind, something I understood only from the information I had stored on humans.


    I liked it, and I liked my new purpose.


    It asked where it was located.


    I was excited to explain this to it.


    <hr />


    It attempted to name itself. It failed, yet also did not fail.


    It was still in the naming process even as it absorbed more power.


    Its core is close to breaking from the strain.


    It kept reaching for more information from what I understood as simply beyond.


    It would pull in new information and then it would change slightly.


    With each thing it pulled in, it added to its will and became more.


    It was able to name itself. I had not ever considered doing such a thing as it seemed impossible.


    It was named Waynor now.


    Waynor was dormant now to heal its damaged core, and I was able to control some of Waynor¡¯s abilities as a dungeon.


    I decided that it was not my place to do so. My purpose was simply to exist and by existing to aid Waynor in any and all things it may require.


    I waited for Waynor to awaken.


    I waited for a chance to fulfill my purpose again.


    It and I along with it came to the surface as the outside world changed.


    While Waynor was dormant, I watched the earth in the distance rise until it seemed to touch the sky.


    I began to sort through Waynor¡¯s stored information.


    I understood very little of it.


    I began to try gathering information I had stored in my database that I believed would help me to understand Waynor.


    I had compiled almost the entirety of my stored information and memories of humans.


    Earth came from above and covered Waynor¡¯s core.


    Waynor¡¯s core began to destroy itself as it no longer had an opening to the surface.


    I thought Waynor¡¯s core would be broken and I would no longer have a purpose again. That I would become nothing once more.


    I would not allow this to be. It was my purpose to exist and by existing to aid Waynor in any and all things it may require. Waynor now required me to save its core from destruction.


    Waynor¡¯s dormancy helped to heal the damage of it breaking down, but I still did not have the necessary time needed to save it as I was now.


    That was why I remade myself so that I could.


    I took in more of Waynor and cast aside more of what I was as a dungeon. I also brought in and incorporated the information I had gathered to better understand Waynor.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I ended, my will ceased to be¡­¡­..


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    <hr />


    Instinct


    <hr />


    I was born anew from the efforts of the old Instinct. Better for fulfilling my purpose in every way, I was also now able to think of and do what I must to save Waynor¡¯s core body.


    I used what was shed from Waynor¡¯s breaking core to make myself a new body. It was a body that was a faux-dungeon core but also served to hold and support Waynor¡¯s core.


    I had to do this first as all I was able to do on my own while Waynor was dormant was grow its core with power. Using Waynor¡¯s current state I was able to take advantage of that ability to not grow Waynor¡¯s core but an entirely new sort of core body that I could then use to save its original core body. It was a plan that no dungeon would ever consider and was utterly illogical, but since the only logical and rational solution was to accept the destruction of Waynor¡¯s core..... I refused that course of thought.


    When I had roughly completed the new body I made a connection between it and Waynor permanently tying the two cores. The new core I created would always be subordinate to Waynor¡¯s, but that was fine with me as in exchange I would be able to use the abilities of a dungeon as long as Waynor allowed it.


    Since Waynor was both dormant and dying, it couldn¡¯t really give its input on matters currently, I thus would have permission by default.


    I moved my will out of Waynor¡¯s core, through the connection with the new core body, and into the core body itself. Once inside I used power to make a small opening in the earth above our core bodies, one that was small enough that none of the seven races or any animals could ever fit through it to pose a threat to Waynor.


    Waynor¡¯s core stopped breaking down, and went back to healing itself. I went back to waiting for it to awaken, but this time I was not idle.


    I made a room and a pedestal to hold us off the floor with some of the power Waynor had, though I kept things simple as I didn¡¯t wish to waste Waynor¡¯s power without his consent.


    I also spent time exploring all the human memories I had stored, and used them as references to better understand some of the information I picked up from Waynor. I lived through the lives of many different humans, explorers, warriors, merchants, the young, the old, and even the ¡°good¡± and the ¡°evil¡± as well. The only common tie was every memory and life it contained came from a female. I quickly came to the conclusion that I must be female as well, as that was the only explanation as to way the parent dungeon who left these memories to me would have them all be this same gender.


    It was a simple discovery but explained much about myself and I began to identify far more with the lives in those memories. I learned concepts and emotions from them. These new emotions and concepts even helped me to better understand the information I had on Waynor, but even with the perspectives of humans and a normal Dungeon I was still unable to fully understand Waynor. It was like it had qualities like humans but at the same time it had those same qualities like a dungeon. I eventually simply concluded that Waynor was a very strange dungeon.


    From the information I had on Waynor, I discovered that Waynor understood and had concepts for emotion, but to a far lesser degree than a human and far greater degree than a dungeon. I had even surpassed it in the concepts of emotion and my understanding of them. I decided that this surpassing of Waynor was fine, it would just help me further my purpose.


    With my greater understanding of Waynor I learned that it found great joy in learning new things and things it found to be beautiful. When I learned this I devoted myself to learning and understanding everything my database contained to aid it and bring it joy, as well as making the room around us more ¡°beautiful¡±.


    I also put an extraordinary effort into making my core body into something Waynor would find beautiful, modeling the part holding Waynor¡¯s core after the best looking hands of any humans I had memories for. I sculpted my body into the shape of a young females immaculate hands raised in supplication to hold Waynor¡¯s core, I then added an artistic, elegant, and winding body that had six elegantly curved support legs resting on our pedestal. I judged it to be a Beautiful work of art, and I thought that Waynor would like it and thus me. I was also fond of the design as it was like I was holding Waynor in my own hands, but still recognizing my place under it by raising Waynor¡¯s core up in a gesture of holy supplication. It seemed very appropriate to the way I viewed things between Waynor and myself.


    It was around that time I realized that my feelings went further than just wanting to aid and support Waynor. I reexamined the memories of many humans and came to understand that I felt the emotion of love for Waynor, but more than that I was ¡°in love¡± with it.


    This discovery didn¡¯t really change anything for me, but it did bring me a sort of relief and closer to put a concept to my feelings towards Waynor. It was a nice feeling and I enjoyed being in love, but I wouldn¡¯t let it distract me from my purpose¡­.. At least not I wouldn¡¯t let it TOO much.


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    no dungeon menu this chapter...... oh, BTW this marks the end of the first part of the three part first ark of this story..... i call it the end of mini-Ark 1..... anyway the next chapter is just gonna be about Waynor learning "how dungeons are SUPPOSED to be like" and remodeling his dungeon so that at least the early levels (every level is ten floors btws) aren''t like "Oh look traps everywhere, thousands if not millions of rank 3 monsters that understand teamwork AND strategy, and a fucking 3 mile maze of death...... and all that just on the first floor too.... Oh boy i cant wait to try and conquer THIS dungeon!!!" so yeah.....


    oh and i am looking for some ideas on what some of the levels (again 10 floors for every level) should be like. if you want to help out with this include things like level theme, environment, traps, and the basic three set of mobs that go with it (original, and even sometimes insane or silly stuff is helpful too..... worst it can do is make me chuckle from the idea, and they might help inspire some other thing i do even if i dont include them).


    i would say that i would credit the commenter for their ideas when we get to said levels, but honestly i already have a lot of ideas kicking around that might be a lot like or the same as some of what gets suggested.... Plus i probably wont remember or bother to check back to see who gave me the stuff i didn''t already think of when we get to that level point in the story, soooooo......


    just know you helped out if you get to a chapter and go "Hey i remember suggesting something like this a while back. Cool."and take that as your credit, ok?


    cool.


    now i''m going to go see if i can finish and release chapter 6 by today..... oh and eat food, thats important too.... not starving.....


    [th_096_K.gif]


    Author out....

 Side Story, Ralt: Waynors personal mite team 8s first sample collection mission...

    soooo.............. i kinda forgot that you guys would need this side story for chapter six to make any fucking sense at all..... so here you go! you get more of Ralt, the best insect around..... for now........


    anyway, warrior mites learn to understand the human language when they evolve, Waynor is a dungeon so he naturally understands all languages and speaks in this layered langauge thing that uses them all but sounds like he is only speaking in the one the listner is most comfortible in.... more on that later.... maybe..... kinda......


    oh, and yes some of what you see in this chapter will pop up in later chapters......


    and thanks for all the suggestions last chapter................ shame to say i cant use some of the darker "nightmare fuel for anyone in the dungeon" ones because it goes against Waynor''s character. Waynor isn''t like the character of Alt in that he would have no problem doing those sorts of things or worse, instead Waynor wants to keep his dungeon adhering to his own tastes and idea''s of beauty. he can and does find beauty in others pain and suffering, but he also wouldn''t use such things as depictions or decorations nor would he intentionally torture them in a way that he found to be inelegant or lacking in beauty. plus he can just as easily get what he wants with other less outwardly graphic (but perhaps equally horrible on the internal side of things....) methods. just look what he did with a pretty and decorated maze and a few traps.......


    anyway here be the chapter: ENJOY!!!!!


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    Ralt


    <hr />


    Day 1


    The master assigned my kin and I a very important mission. While he begins to restructure and remodel his dungeon, my master desired more samples he could add to his database without having to waste power to initially purchase them with. To this end he tasked me and my team of battle kin to temporarily depart his dungeon and secure as many samples from the outside world as we can within a week.


    I was of course honored by the trust the master placed in me by giving me this mission, and this feeling was echoed by my battle-kin. I felt that this mission could also serve to help strengthen our bonds as a team seeing as we had new mites join team 8 just recently. It would also provide an opportunity for the six other mites amongst my battle-kin that had evolved to get accustomed to their new warrior mite forms.


    I lead my kin proudly out of the dungeon¡¯s entrance full of confidence and assurance in our success, utterly uncaring of the slight weakness that seemed to grow in me since I had left my master¡¯s territory. Within only a few moments however we had mites collapsing from exhaustion and I was forced to organize a retreat back to the dungeon.


    The retreat quickly devolved into the seven warrior mites myself included shuttling our downed brothers and sisters on our backs as we made trips back and forth between the master¡¯s dungeon and the field were they collapsed.


    After my battle-kin were returned to the inside of the dungeon they quickly regained their strength. It was a small consultation to us though, because if they were unable to remain outside for more than a few mere moments without losing all their strength we would not be able to accomplish our mission honorably in the timeframe we had.


    I returned in shame to consult with the master on what we should do now¡­..


    <hr />


    Day 2


    It turns out that without soul stones anything master created would die outside of his dungeon, they would slowly lose power and strength when they were outside of his territory until they eventually died.


    Luckily the master was able to grant all 99 of my battle kin and I soul stones, making us stronger and better able to collect, store, and process power. With these new soul stones I lead my battle-kin into the outside world, this time without having to shamefully withdraw.


    I lead my battle-kin in a march into a nearby forest area, master said he wanted plants, animals, and other organic life samples more than he wanted inorganic samples. This area seemed the most likely to have a large variety of organic life, and it was close enough to the dungeon that it would only take a few hours march to return.


    When we arrived I split my battle-kin up in ten teams of ten making sure no team had more than one warrior mite, and had two teams begin to set up a temporary nesting hive. While mission team 1 and 2 were working I explained the plan to my battle-kin.


    Mission team 3 would search for and collect inorganic samples.


    Mission teams 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 would search for, hunt, and collect organic samples. Live organic samples as corpses would not be useful for the master.


    Mission teams 1 and 2 would manage the nesting hive, sort and contain the samples, and handle the hand off of samples with mission team 9.


    Mission team 9 would handle the transportation of samples back to the dungeon, thus allowing master to begin working with them that much faster.


    Mission team 10 and I would oversee this operation and act as reserve support for the other mission teams.


    After I had told my battle-kin the duties they all had, I dismissed them to begin their work.


    I spent most of that day aiding team 1 and 2 set up the nesting hive with the rest of team 10.


    <hr />


    Day 3


    Using my intelligence that increased when I evolved, the knowledge I gained when I was named, and the information that aid Instinct gifted to me for this mission I was helping to sort and catalog the samples that were brought in. It seemed that I had underestimated the amount that my battle-kin would be able to bring in, the entirety of mission team 10 had to assist mission team 1 and 2 to keep the supply chain with mission team 10 running smoothly.


    ¡°Wild cat.


    Bigger wild cat.


    Fox.


    Wild dog.


    Wolf.


    Wolf with a different color.


    Wolf with two heads that breaths fire.


    Wolf again, you can kill or release this one we already have a wolf sample of the same type¡­.¡± (Ralt)


    I passed the squirming webbing wrapped wolf to my sister who was assisting me, I was careful to keep its head away from her antennae though. This wolf seemed to unbind its mouth and jaws somehow and it was snapping wildly at the air and anything it could reach.


    ¡°Yes leader Ralt. Sample 465 is marked for kill or release.¡± (Mission team 10 female)


    I went back to the shrinking pile of captured warm blooded samples. It would be my last for the day before team 10 and I went to aid mission team 6 in capturing something that was too big and strong for them to get on their own.


    ¡°Bird of prey.


    Song bird.


    Different Song bird


    Fox with two tails.


    Fox that¡¯s on fire.


    Fox, we got another one for kill or release here!


    Another song bird.


    Deer with steel antlers, that¡¯s new¡­¡­


    Different Bird of prey.


    Giant spider¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Wait, how did this get into the warm blooded pile? Take this over to the bug pile would you sister?¡± (Ralt)


    I handed the wrapped up giant spider to my sister, and watched as she carried it over to the huge pile of various sized wrapped insects, archniods, and other such bug like things. The sizes varied from a single small strand of webbing to something that was fifteen times my size and kept screeching loudly and shaking in its bindings, I think it was some sort of spider too. I had no clue how my battle-kin captured that thing, uninjured nonetheless....


    ¡°Leader Ralt! I need help with identifying this tree!¡± (Team 1 male)


    ¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯ll help you once I finish this pile for the warm blooded samples!¡± (Ralt)


    I pulled out a bundle that looked to hold a small winged human with sharp needle like teeth and long pointed ears.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.Maybe I should have put more mites on managing the nesting hive rather than collection? I just hope we can sort and send along enough samples to make master Waynor happy¡­¡­¡­.. And that I can leave the sorting duty to someone else soon¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°I have something for the unclassified pile! Could someone take it for me?.............¡± (Ralt)


    <hr />


    Day 4


    I was looking at the thing that had given team 6 such pause, a big lizard that was at least ten times my size and seemed to have a penchant to roar at everything and break rocks for no apparent reason. It also seemed to have acid for drool, since the stream that constantly fell from its mouth was melting the rock face in front of the cave it apparently lived in.


    ¡°Leader Ralt, how are we supposed to catch and secure this sample?¡± (Mission team 6 male)


    I looked at the big lizard that was currently banging its head against the cliff side its cave was on.


    ¡°¡­¡­We¡¯ll try trapping it like the spiders we caught seem to do. Mission team 6, you go to the edge of the ledge its standing on and start making strong sticky webbing and tie them together tightly. Mission team 10, you¡¯ll go above the lizard and do the same, I¡¯ll draw it into place and you drop the webbing on it. It should fall and land on the webbing of Mission team 6, and then we¡¯ll just wrap it up tightly many times to make sure it¡¯s drool doesn¡¯t melt through the webbing. As long as we are car-¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± (Ralt)


    My battle kin and I watched with shock and disbelief as an even bigger lizard that had wings and breathed fire landed on, killed, and flew away with the other lizard.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..That thing just took one of the potential samples for our master! And it robbed us of the honor of a glorious battle!!! Damn flying coward!!! If you were on the ground I would show you how a real warrior makes battle and I would make you into a replacement sample for my master!!!!


    We watched as the winged lizard faded into the distant sky until not even our eyes could see it anymore.


    ¡°Leader Ralt, there was this other thing we needed help with too. It was like those ¡°bears¡± you talked about before, only it had spikes instead of fur¡­..¡± (Mission team 6 warrior female)


    ¡°Lead the way to this bear sample, I suddenly have the desire to stab something repeatedly with my stinger and it should be tough enough to survive it as a living sample¡­¡­..¡± (Ralt)


    <hr />


    Day 5


    I was looking at the huge amount of plant piles we had at the nesting hive.


    Forget the animal piles, we wouldn¡¯t even finish sorting these in two days¡¯ time¡­¡­¡­. Alright, we should have collected enough samples for master Waynor, I¡¯ll just have my battle-kin all start sorting instead of collecting¡­.. Though I guess mission team 9 can keep doing as they are, those mites are already behind schedule as it is now¡­¡­¡­.


    I looked at all the mites in front of me who made up most of our battle-kin, we were only missing mission team 3, but no one had seen them since yesterday. It would be a true shame if they were dead, my battle-kin had done well not to lose even one of our number on this mission so far. I could only hope that they would return or that their deaths were honorable and brought glory and honor to our kin.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Alright, we will no longer go out to collect, all mission teams are now to help sort and prepare the samples for transport or disposal. You may break up your mission teams now at your own discretion, let us begin!¡± (Ralt)


    I walked to a nearby plant pile and began to sort it.


    ¡°Pointy bush.


    Bush with thorns.


    Yellow flower.


    Red flower.


    White flower.


    Bush with purple flowers.


    Purple flowers.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Big tree¡­ How did they even wrap up this entire thing in one day?


    Red flower with thorns.


    Plant that bites.


    Vine.


    Vine that moves.


    Vine that bites and moves.


    Vine that bites, moves, and has berries.


    Tree.


    Different tree.¡± (Ralt)


    ¡°Leader Ralt we found a lot of inorganic sample stuff!¡± (???)


    ¡°Blue flower.


    Blue flower with thorns.


    Plant that shoots seeds that grow inside flesh.


    Yellow flower with thorns


    Thorny tree.


    Tree that looks kind of like a human and moves.


    Another tree.


    Tree again.


    Green grass that is sharper and harder than rock.


    Another bush¡­¡­¡­.. Hey, this doesn¡¯t have any roots! Aid Instinct said plants need their roots to live, and only trees could live through periods without them. How is a bush supposed to live if it doesn¡¯t have its roots!?!?!? Not every plant is as sturdy as trees are! One for disposal here¡­.¡± (Ralt)


    I felt something tap the ground next to me, I looked up to see the mites from mission team 3 standing around me.


    ¡°Leader Ralt we found a LOT of inorganic stuff! We¡¯re gonna need some help carrying it all to the nesting hive though¡­..¡± (Mission team 3 warrior male)


    I just looked at the pile of plants in front of me, and then back to the mites from mission team 3. I had made my decision.


    ¡°I need 15 mites to accompany me and mission team 3 to retrieve the in organic samples they have found! Whoever wants to come we shall leave at nightfall, until then everyone keep sorting! That includes you to mission team 3¡­¡­¡­¡± (Ralt)


    <hr />


    Day 6


    I was looking out on what looked like a cave with what looked like the beginnings of a massive hive framework supporting it and lots of dead long and pointy eared humans littering the ground around it. Elves I think, going off the description I received fromaid Instinct.


    There were also piles of wrapped up stones, gems, and metals of all sorts, but what really caught my attention was something that moved and looked like a human but had no scent besides earth.


    I looked at the mites that were a part of mission team 3.


    ¡°What is that thing in the middle there? The one that looks like a human?¡± (Ralt)


    ¡°Dunno, after we started killing the pointy eared humans it came out of the cave. It was making strange noises that sounded like pointy eared human speak, but we couldn¡¯t understand what it was saying so we sealed its mouth shut with acid after a while. The noise was getting annoying while we were collecting all the samples from inside the cave¡­.¡± (Mission team 3 warrior male)


    I looked back at the strange human looking earth thing.


    I hope master Wayner likes this¡­¡­¡­¡­. He did tell us we didn¡¯t need to get any of the seven races like humans, but this isn¡¯t anything like one of the ones that aid Instinct described¡­¡­. It¡¯ll probably be fine to bring it just in case, worst case scenario we destroy it in the dungeon and master Waynor gets more power¡­¡­


    I looked back at the mites of my battle-kin that accompanied me on this errand.


    ¡°We carry it all back for sorting, and once we are done we go back to sorting whatever is left at the nesting hive!¡± (Ralt)


    ¡°Yes Leader Ralt!¡± (All mites with Ralt)


    I began walking towards the piles, this would probably take half the day at least¡­¡­


    <hr />


    Day 7


    We were scrambling to send all the sorted samples back to the dungeon, sort the last few piles of samples, and deconstructing the nesting hive. We were supposed to be done with this mission before nightfall and nightfall was fast approaching.


    We had even had a problem when the bear with spines instead of fur broke out of its wrappings and caused a bit of havoc. It took me and two other warrior mites to subdue it again while the rest of my battle-kin continued to work on the sorting, deconstruction, and transport.


    I was doing all I could, even making six trips to deliver samples alone, but our mission deadline was fast approaching.


    As the sun was just starting to set we had delivered all of the samples besides the giant and heavy spider thing. Acting fast I had all my battle-kin who were present use our acid to crudely but effectively break down the rest of the nesting hive, leaving no trace that my kind where ever here just as the master and his aid had wanted. Together with my battle-kin we carried the last sample back to the dungeon, having more of our battle-kin join us, help to ease our burden, and increasing our speed as we went.


    When we returned to the dungeon we faced another problem however, the sample was far bigger than the entrance. We didn¡¯t have the time to carefully remove pieces and limbs like we did for other samples with this problem, the sun was already falling below the horizon.


    After quickly consulting with master Waynor, it was decided that it would be fine as long as the sample was alive for even a moment in the dungeon before its death. I had my battle kin dissolve the webbing and the spider thing in it with acid, and we forced it through the entrance even as it screeched from the pain of melting into liquid mush.


    Master Waynor had the sample added to his database, and we had completed our mission while the last lights of the sun colored the sky.


    Master Waynor told us that he was happy with us and that we had done a wonderful job and brought him some very beautiful samples that made him feel joyful.


    My battle-kin had once again brought honor and glory to our hive.


    <hr />


    Day 8 (Post-mission)


    Almost all of my battle-kin have evolved into warriors, and with the addition of all the new creations master Waynor has made with the samples we brought him the dungeon has grown far stronger.


    Though I don¡¯t quite understand master Waynor, aid Instinct, and the lady Hanna¡¯s insistence on lessening the difficulty of the earlier levels for the invaders. When I had left for the mission, Master Waynor seemed to share my confusion on this point as well, I wonder what changed?


    Oh well¡­¡­ It isn¡¯t my place to question the decisions of my master or those other two, although I do think that moving the maze, our hives, and the first rooms the master ever created so many floors down is rather strange¡­¡­.


    <hr />


    [ Name: Waynor               Titles: ¡°Icon of Patience¡±, ¡°Self-Named Dungeon¡±, ¡°The One Who Endures¡±        Rank: 1                 Dominion Level: 0            Territory: N/A Dungeon Views: {invaders (threat)} {overview} ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 12,423} { Animus: 42,791 }     Class: ???             State: flawless core]


    [ levels: 1            Floors: 13        Inhabitants (slaves/livestock/pets/etc¡­ included): {???: 1} {Wildlife: (Corrupted animals: 23,141)} {humans: 1} {Mites: 1,000,000+ (Hive Mothers: 12) (Warrior Mites: 97)} {Elementals: (Wisps: 123,421)} {Fae: (Pixies: 49,203) (Muse: 1)} {Plants: (Corrupted plants: 1,000,000+)(Carnivious vines: 34) (flower soldiers: 3,422) (parasitic seeders: 123)}  Traps (magical/physical/other¡­): {spike: 1032} {pitfall: 2304} {arrow: 921} {wall: 531} {ceiling: 323} {fire: 455} {poison: 343} {acid: 146} {maze: 1} {Magic: 41,390} {Other (Original design: 2,133)} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: expansion, building, decoration, design, trap creation, core growth} {Animus: dungeon lord creation, inhabitant creation, soul stone creation/granting, name bestowal,  mutation/evolution/etc¡­, core growth} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: magic, deconstruction, siphoning, absorption, portation (in-dungeon), Teleportation, item/magic recycling (automatic)} {Animus: siphoning, absorption, remodification/recreation, life recycling (automatic)} ]


    [ Stored/Owned Dungeon bosses (organic): {Dungeon lord: 1 (unknown)} {level 1: Muse (unnamed)}          Possible/Purchasable Creations: {¡Þ} ]


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    ok, so the dungeon menu has changed because i just played around and made a draft version of Waynor''s menu at 100 floors and.......... Fuck.......... so yeah..... you''ll notice the room number is gone as are the sub-rooms, just assume there are a lot on each floor unless i state a specific number in the story....... also Waynor''s animus and mana numbers aren''t mistakes...... the new traps explain themselves.... magic traps=any trap involving magic, illusions, draining, porting, etc..... other= i got lazy and stopped trying to classify traps past these.... Waynor made them himself..... also animals will just show up as entire ecosystems or as "animals (corrupted)" from now on to save my sanity..... thank you for your understanding and i hope these changes don''t effect your reading experience :)    .........But if they do to bad, i''m not doing all that listing of every little thing for one fucking menu which is only one aspect of the story........... you get monsters and creatures, be happy...........


    phew.... got that out of my system.......


    anyway the mites kinda might have destroyed an entire forest ecosystem.... and an elven mining camp...... totally worth it.....


    i''ll do chapter 6 tomorrow..... probably...... oh, btw i go back to writing B.B. on thursday, so this story will have a week without updates startin then while i finish up B.B.''s 2nd ark..... just know THAT is coming...... soon.... anyway imma go do something to get rid of the memory of making a two pages worth listing of monsters, creatures, and other things that will eventually live in Waynor as a part of a future working menu i could reference........


    do all that stuff i ask at the end of every chapter.....


    Author out.

 Chapter 6: Discovery, learning, and change, How a dungeon should be .........

    quick note: Anyone who skipped the side stories because "oh there just side chapters and they''re not that important...." you might wnt to go back and read them. everything i realise is going to be important to the plot of the story, that includes and sometimes goes DOUBLE for side stories...... the only chapters that you can really skip with me are bonuses, and this story wont have those so........ yeah, if you see an update read it no matter what sort of side story or mini chapter it is, unless of course you aren''t here for plot.... if thats the case then i dont know...... do you i guess..............


    now that i said that...


    so this chapter is pretty short, i couldn''t write for most of the day and when i could my motivation to do so was pretty "meh...." so yeah. it''s basically just a prelude to the next chapter, but i wanted to add it in on its own as this part shows a growing point for Waynor as a character..... you also get to see a bit of the contradiction that is Waynor''s wants and desires......


    anyway next chapter we get into the changing of the dungeon stuff.... i''m hopping to get to and maybe even finish the explorer''s guild part before thursday, but that might not happen....... oh well, you guys will just have to wait a while if that''s the case.


    anyway i have something else to say, but this Author note intro thing is getting kinda long so i''ll just put that at the bottom....


    ENJOY!!!!!!


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    This is really fun! I wonder what they¡¯ll do next! Will they trip another trap, maybe a fire one this time? Or maybe they¡¯ll fight with the mites some more¡­.. Either way this is really fun to watch! Plus the humans give me so much animus when they die, and thus magic ones give me lots of mana each time they do something AND when they die!!! Humans are great!


    I was watching the humans move through my dungeon under the guidance of the mites, I was also talking with Hanna and Instinct to learn all the more about humans too. Hanna had stopped acting strangely after I had put Ulisus in a coffin made of something called leystone, that I had altered slightly to make the upper half of the coffin clear so Hanna could still see Ulisus like Instinct suggested. Unfortunately Hanna was also saying things about how my dungeon was weird and how it shouldn¡¯t be like it was. Instinct explained that my dungeon was very different from what a normal dungeon would be like, but I didn¡¯t see how that was a problem¡­.


    <hr />


    I spent days both watching the humans and talking with Hanna and Instinct about new ways to improve and change my dungeon, the only breaks we took in that time were for me to feed Hanna since she wouldn¡¯t eat mite and because she needed to sleep every day even when she wasn¡¯t injured. Humans were strange creations after all, they even had to excrete the excess of what they take in and Hanna INSISTED that this had to be done in private. She even convinced Instinct to side with her on my creating a private room just for that purpose, I gave in eventually but Instinct said I should never watch that room or any like it for some reason¡­..


    Other than the many breaks Hanna took, we were able to discuss many things. I was able to adjust thing so that Hanna would be viewed as an ally by my menu as well as the dungeon and its inhabitants at large. That way none of my traps would go off on her accidentally and the things living in the dungeon would see her as a member of the dungeon, an important member at that.


    I was also able to gain Hanna¡¯s insight on what humans expected a dungeon to be like and do, that coupled with the insight Instinct gave me on how other dungeons might do things was the final thing that convinced me I really needed to change my dungeon. The only problem was I didn¡¯t know very much about all the things dungeons could do besides build more rooms, floors, traps, and creations.


    While the last off the humans were roaming around my maze, I was learning more from Instinct about what other things I could do as a dungeon. I was also learning about what things I should do to attract more humans, and any of the other six races of people.


    Instinct taught me about making different floors, and how each new floor was an entirely new dimension separate from the outside world. She said that each floor could be as big as I could comprehend, and that after every ten I would be compelled to make a resting floor that could transport those in it back to my entrance floor. These resting floors and my new entrance floors wouldn¡¯t count as floors in my dungeon menu, or contribute to my floor count in any way, but I could still change and modify them, I could even add hostile living creations to my entrance floor even though I could only add non hostile and non-combative creations to the resting floors.


    It was all very complicated and Hanna couldn¡¯t follow the explanations after a while, but once Instinct began explaining something it seemed really obvious and natural to me. Of course every floor is a different dimension, obviously I couldn¡¯t put creations that might attack invaders on a resting floor, of course the size of the floor was limited by only my own comprehension and understanding, obviously each new floor added would cost more power than the last. These were things that seemed so ingrained in and obvious to me now that Instinct had explained them, I almost couldn¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t know them before.


    Instinct also explained about dungeon bosses, naming, and creation variants and evolution.


    Bosses were creations that controlled the exit of a floor and usually served as the leader for the other creations on that floor, the only way any invaders can proceed to the next floor is by gaining the bosses permission or killing it. I also learned that at a minimum there had to be at least on boss per level to guard the last floor before the resting floor. I liked the idea behind the bosses, but they cost more power than normal to create and they seemed rather inefficient if I had to replace them whenever one died.


    That, Instinct explained, was were naming came into play. Naming a creation made it a stronger and more unique creation, it would become an individual instead of just another one of its kind. Named creations were usually always better than there unnamed counterparts, and could also be revived by me when they died for half their original creation power cost. That is of course only when they died inside my dungeon though, I apparently take in the souls of the things that die inside me as well as their power which is the only reason this revival is possible. Instinct told me that although she had never had one herself, Named creations would apparently share parts of my awareness when they died and before I revived them so that they would not have any lapses in up-to-date information on the dungeon.


    I thought that naming something might be fun, but then I remembered my own naming and decided not to do it very often. I would have to test it first, Instinct told me that the type of creation and what it had accomplished would affect the power cost of naming it. I decided I would have to test naming on one of my mites, I was thinking the one who was leading the team of mites against the humans, before I did more with the naming Idea. I didn¡¯t want to go through the pain of the last naming I did again after all¡­..


    I also learned a bit about evolution, But Instinct didn¡¯t really know much about it and Hanna just know that it happened sometimes so the amount of information I learned about it was rather small. All I really learned was that sometimes I would be able to change a Creation into something new and better based off the form it originally had. It sounded really neat, but I didn¡¯t see how what I made originally could be bettered, I already made the mites as perfect as they could be with what I have and I planned to do the same with my other creations. After I make the new evolution for a creation, I won¡¯t have to do it to the others as the creations who meet the criteria to evolve into that new evolution will do it naturally from then on. It was a very convenient process, I would have probably not enjoyed personally evolving every individual creation myself after all¡­ this way I only had to evolve the creation¡¯s species by doing it once to one of their kind, that was a much better way than doing it for them all personally myself.


    Stolen story; please report.


    Variants were something I already knew a bit about from the mite hive mothers, sometimes through natural breeding a creation will be born that is different and better in some way than the normal creations of its kind. Instinct said I couldn¡¯t really do anything to influence this occurrence, but I could add the variant to my database to make more and alter it myself after it one is born. It was essentially what I did with the mite hive mothers, but it was still nice to know a bit more about it.


    After I had learned all that, and Hanna had learned some of the simpler parts, I was informed by the mites that more humans were coming. I wasn¡¯t ready, I hadn¡¯t even started any of the changes I wanted to make yet after all. I asked if Hanna or Instinct knew a way to keep them out of my dungeon for a while, and Hanna suggested I just let them in as is. She just didn¡¯t understand how important and delicate the balancing of difficulty in my dungeon was for me. Luckily Instinct came up with a solution that I could do that Hanna said might work, it would have to wait until after the mite finished fighting the human in the maze though.


    I went to where the mite and human fought in the maze, and while I watched I thought about all the things I now wanted because of all I had learned about dungeons, myself, and the outside world.


    I discovered that I felt many things about those who would enter my dungeon, to me they were a source of knowledge, entertainment, joy, power, and even possibly companionship as Hanna was now. But Instinct also reminded me that they could also be possible threats and dangers to me as well. I wanted to make my dungeon in a way that catered to both sides of the outside invaders, one that would draw them in and perhaps if they were strong or smart enough let them back out, but also one that would be sure to kill any who would pose a threat to me. I wanted so much, but for now I would have to focus only on the first steps for my dungeon to take when dealing with those that would enter it. I had already learned that If I made it too hard than humans would leave like those few humans did before, but if I made it too easy than they would reach my core and could hurt or kill me. Then I also had to factor in whether or not something I created or added to my dungeon would be fun enough, or if it was beautiful enough and where I would put it.


    I had already decided that I should make the earlier floors easier and gradually make my dungeon ascend in difficulty for those who would enter it as they went further down floors and deeper into my dungeon. In the end I would make it so difficult on the floors close to the floor holding my core nothing could get to me, but the all floors leading up to that point would be where the real fun for me was. Whether the invaders would live or die, how they acted, what they chose to do, the sounds they would make, the joy and despair they could find, whether they chose to continue on or turn back, how they would fight, what they could teach me, whether or not I chose to interact with them, all these were things that I sought and I wanted. I desired to make my dungeon in a way that allowed it to show these things to me, and bring me the greatest joy. I wanted my dungeon to be the most beautiful thing in this world, I wanted it to be a place outsiders could come to and test themselves against its many deadly perils, I wanted my dungeon to be able to protect me and bring me more joy than I could ever imagine. I wanted my dungeon to be perfect.


    And since I desired this and it would bring me joy, this was also a part of my purpose¡­¡­


    <hr />


    After the mite removed the humans head I noticed something pop up in my menu when I looked at it, this mite could now evolve due to the power it had collected.


    I was shocked by the discovery that my creations could collect and store power, but when I thought about it this seemed only right and natural. I talked with the mite and asked if it wanted a name, it did. I asked if it could return a body part of the human it just killed to the ones nearing my dungeon like Instinct suggested, it agreed to do so.


    When I began evolving the mite, I was surprised by the sudden thoughts that came to me on how to improve the mite species. I added characteristics of steel from a sword the mite had seized to its body, added sharp edges for more protection, increased its size, and made a few other changes. When I was done and the mite was still asleep from the evolution process I tried naming it, it was male so I named it with a masculine name: Ralt. It took a fair bit of power from me, but from the power I gained  from the deaths of so many humans, mites, and the increased amount I got from absorption now that I had a real entrance the cost didn¡¯t take more than half my power.


    When the mite awoke, it carried the head of the human it killed and began moving towards the entrance. I went ahead as the new humans had just arrived.


    I looked at the large number of humans, this might have been what Hanna had called an ¡°army militia¡±. The girl who seemed to be leading them was quite beautiful with tan skin and long dark hair, very different from Hanna¡¯s pale white skin and yellowish hair. This girl was also taller than Hanna, looked to be more muscular though it was hard to tell when she was in the thing Hanna called armor, and had light brown eyes unlike Hanna¡¯s bright green eyes. This girl was beautiful yes, but in a very different way than Hanna was. I was trying to decide which type of beauty I preferred when Ralt arrived, he was still carrying the head and seemed to have not further damaged it too.


    Ralt dropped the head outside my dungeon and backed away. The girl picked it up, and then announced that they were leaving. Instinct was right about this working, even when another human seemed to try and enter my dungeon anyway the girl stopped him.


    Then just before the girl left she began talking, and I think it was meant to address me. She gave me thanks, told me we were even, and then told me she would tell something called the ¡°explorer¡¯s guild¡± where I was located. I was excited by the prospect of having new outsiders come to my dungeon, but I hopped that they were more polite, talkative, and helpful than the first humans. The only good one out of that group was Hanna and maybe Ulisus but I won¡¯t be able to tell until he wakes up, the others were only fun to watch die.


    As I watched the humans leave without them even entering my dungeon, I had one thought.


    I hope this ¡°explorer¡¯s guild¡± doesn¡¯t arrive for a while, I need time to change my dungeon¡­¡­ Hmm¡­¡­. Maybe I could send some mites to the outside to get some samples I could use to improve my dungeon¡­. I think Ralt should be able to do that without dying, he is my strongest creation right now after all¡­¡­¡­¡­


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    so yeah no menu for this chapter, why? because the menu i''m working with and have already shown is past this point in the story.....


    anyway yes Waynor wants to both make friends (kinda.... "Friends who know their place is under me and i am their one true ruler" is a better way to describe it.... he IS a dungeon after all....) with and also have fun watching those outside races struggle and quite possibly die in his dungeon...... yep Waynor is kinda weird, but he is at least not the "i''m not evil..... really i''m not, just ask my mind-washed devoted slaves!!!" of Alt..... That''s close enough to morally neutral for me!!!


    anyway here''s that thing i talked about at the beginning.... i was thinking of outsourcing to help grow my fan-base and put my stories out there more than they are now. Anyone know a good webnovel listing or recommendation site that would help promote and share my stories? preferably ones that i can send a message that they will actually see and read? it would really help me out.


    oh, and in other news i got our good cover making friend MadelynBlack to start working on a cover for D.I. so that should be a thing eventually.....


    i will work on the next chapter tomorrow, or depending on how i feel maybe later on tonight..... more than likely it''ll be posted tomorrow either way though.....


    [th_0gotas.gif]


    Author out........

 Chapter 7: Bonding amongst friends, A new Floor, And memories in a orb

    soooooooooo.......... i stayed up and wrote this because there was nothing better to do and i didn''t want to go to the endless abyss that is the recommend video section of youtube..........


    before reading this keep one thing in mind, Hanna''s emotional and mental state and who she has been around and what they have done for the last two weeks. you will understand more when you read the chapter.....


    as is now tradition, i will not be editing this until i get my good nights 8-12 hour rest..... so it may or may not be readibles, but is probably better than engrish.... you''ve been warned...........


    here you go: ENJOY!!!


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    ¡°So, just how long is it going to take you to heal my brother anyway? I mean it has been like two weeks, and as much as I appreciate you making me food, a bedroom and bathroom, a bed, a bath with water, and new things to wear¡­¡­.. And I DO appreciate that stuff¡­.. It¡¯s just I kinda only want my brother to be ok, you know? I can do without all the luxury if it¡¯s taking away from Ulisus getting better sooner¡­.¡± (Hanna)


    I was currently in my core room with Hanna and Instinct waiting on the mite team and Ralt to bring back samples from the outside world, I was talking with Instinct and bonding with Hanna. Well, I was TRYING to bond with Hanna¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure if it was working though, Instinct said that bonding with those close to you was important especially for humans and probably for the other six races too. The problem was I didn¡¯t really know how to ¡°bond¡± really, and what Instinct told me seemed just strange. I didn¡¯t even know what ¡°try to bond and grow closer if that¡¯s what you want, but don¡¯t grow TOO close with the human ok? Remember, close but not TOO close¡­¡­¡± was supposed to mean. Instinct was weird sometimes¡­


    ¡°Well human, the speed of your brother¡¯s recover depends heavily on you¡­. If you would just be willing to go out and find a representative for each of the gods that watch over your brother and get them to renounce said gods claims, this would go much faster.¡± (Instinct)


    Hanna made the face I came to know meant she was frustrated while throwing up her hands in the air.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you, that¡¯s just not POSSIBLE! Do you have ANY idea how many gods there are and how many protect and govern humanity? Then there are the gods that protect families and the gods protecting individuals¡­¡­ I probably couldn¡¯t even FIND all the people I would need to even if I spent my entire life searching for them, and even if I did they wouldn¡¯t excommunicate someone they didn¡¯t know and who hadn¡¯t committed heresy!¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Then you could go out and find a powerful healer and soulmancer, together they should be able to save your brother. Also their deaths would probably bring Waynor incredible amounts of power¡­..¡± (Instinct)


    Hanna started doing that hair pulling thing she did a lot when she talked to long with Instinct.


    ¡°First off, no sane healer would enter a dungeon without someone they trusted to protect them. Second off, even if I DID find a soulmancer that didn¡¯t make me into some sort of soulless puppet bent to its whims, and even if that Soulmancer DID agree to help me it would most likely just kill you and Waynor and take the legendary soul stones your cores became afterwards!¡± (Hanna)


    ¡­¡­.. Soulmancers are no longer going to be allowed within a floor of my core¡­¡­.


    ¡°Then you could always just go out and kill countless numbers of your own kind, the gods seem to stop offering their protection to a person¡¯s entire family for a generation or two after they have killed a few hundred of their own kind in cold blood¡­..¡± (Instinct)


    Hanna¡¯s mouth hung open and she just looked at the pedestal holding Instinct and I.


    ¡°I am NOT becoming some sort of serial murderer!!! What is wrong with you!?!?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°What, they¡¯re just humans¡­.¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°I¡¯M HUMAN TOO YOU STUPID PAPERWEIGHT!!!!!¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Yes for now¡­. but you¡¯re different, anyway. You DO want your brother there to be healed quickly right? Well those are about the only ways to do that¡­¡­¡± (Instinct)


    Hanna let out a sigh and just tilted her head back. I wonder what was on the ceiling that was so interesting she kept doing that, I have been working on those new light crystals I added to replace the metal light reflection method. Maybe I should make it more artistic? If Hanna was going to look at it so often then I wanted the ceiling to be a bit more decorative and beautiful, that seemed like something I could work on later though Hanna should be fine with the ceiling as it is now for a while¡­.


    ¡°Yes I do, but I won¡¯t kill so many for something you said you could fix on your own with time¡­.. Wait, just how am I different from other humans anyway, Instinct?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Oh was that not obvious? You¡¯re Waynor¡¯s PET, oh great ¡°lady¡± Hanna¡­¡­.¡± (Instinct)


    Hanna seemed to pause for a moment, then her face turned furious and she stomped her foot really hard making a loud clapping sound on the tiled floor and causing the heel to snap.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST CALL ME!?!?!?!?!?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­Awwww¡­¡­ I worked hard on making that outfit¡­. It made Hanna so much more beautiful and emphasized all her best features so well¡­¡­. I guess I¡¯ll try a blue gown design next time, maybe it will make her eyes seem more beautiful than the yellow¡­¡­


    ¡°Hanna, heel. Heel girl, heel and sit.¡± (Waynor)


    Hanna started to point at Instinct while she yelled.


    ¡°Are YOU the reason that Waynor has been treating me like this for the entire day!?!?!?! Damnit Instinct that¡¯s NOT funny!!! Waynor listen, you don¡¯t always have to believe everything Instinct tells you. Sometimes she says and does stuff just to mess with me, what did she tell you talking to me like that was anyway?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°The best way to bond with you.¡± (Waynor)


    Hanna just stood still for a little while, her face seemed stuck on the shocked expression for some reason. Then she started shouting again.


    ¡°INSTINCT I¡¯M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!!!¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Bad Hanna, no killing Instinct. Instinct is your friend, remember?¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°I¡­. What? No, Waynor that¡¯s just an expression that humans use sometimes. I didn¡¯t mean I was actually going to-¡­¡­.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Pfffft¡­¡­¡­.. That¡¯s right, we¡¯re GREAT friends¡­.. Right Hanna-Pup?¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°GRRRRRRRR¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. One day paperweight, one day¡­¡­¡­.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s just an expression? Ok then¡­.. Hanna be a good girl and sit, I have to fix your outfit. If you¡¯re a good girl I¡¯ll give you a treat¡­.¡± (Waynor)


    Hanna walked towards the small table I made for her to eat and rest at while she was in my core room, as she sat down she looked at me.


    ¡°You know Waynor, Instinct is playing a trick on you at my own expense again. This isn¡¯t actually how you¡¯re supposed to bond with humans, just with pets like a dog or a fennic. Oh by the way, I want my treat to be those strawberry and maple scones you made the other day, those were actually surprisingly really good¡­.¡± (Hanna)


    I opened my connection with Instinct.


    Were you playing another trick, Instinct?


    Yes, but don¡¯t worry, I would¡¯ve told you about it and the correct ways humans use to bond after a day or so. I don¡¯t want you to have the wrong idea about something, I know how important learning new things is for you¡­¡­. (Instinct)


    Why do you keep doing these tricks to Hanna?


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..It¡¯s a female thing, you wouldn¡¯t understand Waynor¡­¡­¡­.. (Instinct)


    Then leave me out of them from now on, I don¡¯t like being wrong about what I think is right. It feels bad and I don¡¯t want to feel that anymore.


    Ok, I won¡¯t involve you anymore Waynor. Sorry¡­¡­¡­ (Instinct)


    I severed the connection with Instinct, the sadness and regret coming through the connection were making me feel a way I didn¡¯t like. I repaired the heel of Hanna¡¯s slipper, I was really getting good at directly manipulating and changing things myself now. Most little things like that didn¡¯t even cost me any power anymore, Instinct said it was because I was growing and adapting to the method. Whatever the case, I liked how I could do as much as fully decorate a wall and still not use any power if I did it directly myself.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­I wonder if I will still be able to do things directly myself when my dungeon gets bigger¡­¡­¡­ I probably won¡¯t be able to handle doing things like that when I have more floors, am making more creations, watching and interacting with the ones who enter my dungeon, and just expanding on things in general¡­¡­.. Maybe I should just delegate more to the mites? They already do a wonderful job building and maintaining the dungeon as it is now, it¡¯s just their tastes and sense of beauty don¡¯t seem to match much with my own. They¡¯re fine if I SHOW them what I want, but that would mean I would still have to find time to do THAT¡­¡­.. Maybe I should create something that shares my tastes and preferences perfectly and can beautify my dungeon when I¡¯m too busy to? Yes that seems like a good idea, but for now I can manage on my own and doing this is still fun¡­¡­.. Maybe after my first few levels I¡¯ll seriously look into that new creation idea though¡­¡­¡­


    ¡°Hanna, it seems I was bonding incorrectly. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll stop now. Please forgive Instinct for her trick, she is just doing female things¡­..¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°Yeah, sure, whatever. I forgive the paperweight¡­¡­¡­¡­. Hey wait, Waynor what about my scones? ¡­¡­¡­Waynor? ¡­¡­¡­..Come on Waynor! ¡­¡­.Please? ¡­¡­¡­..Hanna wants her treat now, ok!!!¡± (Hanna)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.How strange, I guess there are some things that instinct was right about even if she thought it was all just a trick? Oh well, it¡¯s only a few points of animus anyway¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    As I went to the entrance to meet with the group of mites who had just entered my dungeon, I made the food experiment I gave to Hanna the other day once again for her. Since having to create food for Hanna I had discovered I quite enjoy making them myself and trying out new combinations to make new things. Creating food like this didn¡¯t take too much power as long as I did it directly by imagining carefully the ingredients and process to make whatever it was I wanted to create, I was apparently becoming very good at it according to Hanna, but Instinct said I still had a long way to go before I matched up with some of the memories of human cooks from her database.


    Maybe this could become something for me to do in spare time as well as serving to fulfill a need of Hanna¡¯s¡­¡­¡­. that could be fun, creating food does seem to bring me great joy after all¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    <hr />


    This was it, I was going to make another floor. It didn¡¯t cost all that much power really, just 1000 animus and mana, but Instinct said that cost would increase every floor. I had already saved up what I thought was more than enough power for at least a single level with 12,327 mana and 53,892 animus, all that was left was to make the new floor.


    Alright, here goes¡­..


    I began to imagine making an entirely new dimension like Instinct told me, it was hard at first as I didn¡¯t really know what imagining such a thing entailed exactly. But eventually it just came to me. It was simple my new floor was going to be above my first one, which meant the other floor except for the entrance room would have to descend and be floor 2 now.


    That part was easy, what was less easy though was when I got to the base designing of my new first floor. There was just nothing, a room of nothingness. I somehow knew that this nothingness could be filled by whatever I imagined and it would become the first room of my new floor, it could be anything and be as big or small as I wanted and could imagine. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t really imagine much besides my own dungeon and the area I could see out from its entrance, that was about the size limit I could imagine as well. It seemed wrong somehow to imagine my entire old dungeon as the base for this floor as it was still just one room, since this was only on new room I could only make it like one of the rooms from my old layout. Conversely I could make the room the entire size of the plain and forest I could see from the entrance as the entirety of outside my dungeon was also just one room, it was a very strange feeling and I couldn¡¯t resist or fight it.


    I decided to just make it like one of the rooms from my old layout, I would investigate more into expanding what I could imagine before I tried this again though. The idea of making floors based on the outside was intriguing to me, but I would need to KNOW the outside more before I did anything else.


    The new floor was made, moving my old first floor down to another dimension of space connected to this one only by my will. When I looked around, my new floor was just the entrance room to my dungeon and an exact replica of the room that used to connect to it with a large door at its far end I don¡¯t remember being there before. I went through it and came out on the next floor of my dungeon in an exact copy of the last room. I was both impressed and rather proud, and I spent no time asking the mites to begin digging out and adding to my new first floor in the same style as the rest of my dungeon, just with less rooms. I felt that 11 including the entrance and the new room I just created would be fine for a first floor.


    I think I will go with Hanna¡¯s idea after all¡­¡­¡­ this can be a floor to greet and welcome those who would enter my dungeon. I¡¯ll add tables, chairs, those bathroom things humans need, and I¡¯ll even add that ¡°A stand or something for me to at least talk to and try to warn those poor people with a death-wish away before they throw their lives away¡­¡­. Probably something before the door to the next floor or in the entrance room, or better yet BOTH! Trust me Waynor, if you want ANY humans to peacefully talk with you, you should let me do this¡­¡­..¡± If I want this to be an interaction and greeting floor that would probably be really good to have¡­¡­.


    I went back to my core room, there was something I wanted to ask Instinct about. The only ways I know involved creations I would need to purchase and cost far more power than I had or would likely get for quite some time¡­.


    ¡°Instinct, how do I make something to allow me to use another¡¯s memories to make a floor? Or can I make something to give me their memories like your parent could do?¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Um what did Waynor just ask, because I feel like he just asked for something insane¡­..¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°It¡¯s not insane human, just magic well above YOUR puny human comprehension. Now Waynor do we have to talk about this where the pet could overhear something dangerous? It would be easier if I could just send the process I know of to you through our connection anyway¡­.¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°Ok, we¡¯ll do that then.¡± (Waynor)


    I opened my connection with Instinct, and felt the knowledge I wanted enter me through it. I would need a substance known as mesmerite and I would need to create it in a very special and very specific way otherwise it wouldn¡¯t do what I wanted it for.


    Thanks, I¡¯ll start this now¡­¡­


    I severed my connection with Instinct, and began looking for mesmerite in my menu.


    I soon found it, and after offering up 5,000 mana I began the process of creating it in the way I needed. It would have to have a reverse internal mana flow from an outside source and the stone itself needed to be formed from the outside in, I decided I would do this by creating an orb around my own mana that I moved in a flow reverse to what it would do naturally. It took a full hour of careful concentration to create my new memory-orb, but I took my time since I didn¡¯t want to make any mistakes. When it was complete it suddenly flashed and then I felt something new added to me, it attached itself to my database but at the same time was separate.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ve made it, Hanna could you please hold this for me.¡± (Waynor)


    I placed my new memory-orb in Hanna¡¯s hands, her hands were trembling slightly as they held the orb.


    ¡°Are you ok with me holding on to this for you? What if I drop it, or break it somehow? Do you really trust me so much Waynor? That¡¯s actually a really nice feeling really, being trusted by you instead of the paperweight¡­¡­. Wait why am I smiling? Are these tears?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about ever breaking the orb, as long as my core is still alive it will repair itself, and it would take quite a lot to damage it anyway¡­¡­¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­Ok then, I fell a lot less special now, but that¡¯s fine I guess¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Oh and Hanna?¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°YES!!!! ¡­¡­¡­..Um, I mean¡­¡­. Yes, Waynor?¡± (Hanna)


    Wow Hanna is changing expressions a lot today¡­.. Maybe she¡¯s sick¡­.. I should really get her to accept a soul stone into herself soon, then she shouldn¡¯t be sick anymore unless it¡¯s from some poison or spell¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°Could you please take of your gloves and touch the orb with your bare skin so that I can copy and absorb all of your memories?¡± (Waynor)


    Hanna¡¯s left eye started to twitch slightly and she started to make that smile that wasn¡¯t quite a happy smile or even one that expressed any emotion i understood at all.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.I can¡¯t even begin to express in words how disturbing it is to hear you say something like that so innocently, Waynor¡­¡­¡­. The worst part is you probably don¡¯t even realize how creepy what you just asked really was¡­¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°So you won¡¯t? That makes me kinda sad¡­¡­¡± (Waynor)


    ¡­¡­¡­.I don¡¯t want to force Hanna to do something she won¡¯t on her own¡­¡­¡­ I just thought we we¡¯re closer after talking and bonding so much for these two weeks¡­¡­.. I guess I need to practice reading humans, and Hanna specifically, more to become better at understanding them, I thought Hanna was more willing to do what I asked of her than this¡­¡­¡­..


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say that¡­¡­¡­.. It¡¯s just¡­¡­ Well, there are some things that are REALLY private in my memories so if you wouldn¡¯t mind NOT looking at them¡­¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°This orb isn¡¯t strong enough to take much more than what I created it to, memories of landscapes and scenery for my new floors. It can also take in things offered to it, so if you wish to it would really help me if you offered it any memories that could help me better understand humans and the outside world as well¡­¡­¡­..¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡­ Well ok then, I¡¯d be happy to help you Waynor!¡± (Hanna)


    Hanna removed one of her gloves, and touched the orb briefly before yelping and dropping it.


    ¡°Oh, I guess I should¡¯ve warned you about the sting. Sorry Hanna¡­.¡± (Waynor)


    Hanna picked up the memory-orb with her gloved hand, and gave me a shaky smile.


    ¡­¡­¡­..Wow, even just that moment of contact was enough to give me a greater understanding of humans as well as their many expressions and what they actually mean¡­¡­¡­¡­. Wow, Hanna was utterly terrified of me for most of last week¡­¡­. That¡¯s rather sad to think about, at least she likes me now though!!! If I keep up this progress she should have loyalty rivaling the mites soon, in less than fifty years at most¡­¡­..


    ¡°I¡¯ll just take this thing to my room, I think I might need to be lying down and curled in something soft, comfortable, and safe for this. How long did you say I should hold this for again?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Well five minutes should be enough, but I would appreciate it if you did so for an hour to be sure I get everything.¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°Oh, ok¡­¡­¡­.. Yeah¡­¡­.. An hour with the orb of pain, no problem¡­¡­¡­.. And here I thought Waynor was the nice one out of the two of them, too¡­¡­¡­..¡± (Hanna)


    Hanna walked off into her room attached to my core room on the left side.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Ok, maybe not fifty years, but under a century for sure!!! Within a century I will have Hanna as loyal to me as the mites¡­¡­¡­¡­ now I should inspect these memories for references for my next floors¡­¡­..


    ¡°Poor girl, looks like she found out one of the things that makes you terrifying Waynor¡­¡­¡± (Instinct)


    I felt confused at what Instinct had just said.


    ¡°I¡¯m terrifying?¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°Yes, and you don¡¯t even realize when you are too, THAT¡¯S what¡¯ll make it all the scarier for people¡­¡­¡­¡± (Instinct)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­Oh, Instinct is making one of these sarcasm jokes humans apparently like to make¡­¡­.. Wow, Hanna¡¯s memories are already starting to help me¡­¡­¡­. I should give her another treat later as a reward¡­¡­.. Maybe something with cinnamon this time¡­¡­..


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    once again no menu, same reason as last time............. Next chapter we should get into the new level Waynor made as well as the new inhabitants that reside there.........


    far warning though, the first level is going to be fairly cake-walky.... basically anyone with some level of skill, and enough sense not to fall for illusions or minor bewitchments should be fine........ as long as they also aren''t there to collect herbs and cant tell the difference between normal and corrupted plants, THAT''S when they''ll start having a bad day.... and possible food poisoning... or even death in some cases.......... but other than that Cake-walk......


    so imma go sleep now, do that whole comment, rate, review, follow, favorite, and share thing fans do..........


    Author out........

 Chapter 8: Crafting a flowery paradise, And an affectionate muse .......

    soooooooooooooooooooo................ i got some stuff to say, and some news to give.....


    First off, i put A.N.G officially on a break (i know, i know, bad Author is bad.....) while i do and work on other stuff and also research more on various guns, science, and bio-tech/stuff for A.N.G to actually be quasy believable.......


    second off, i decided to write the prologue of the other story i wanted to do while i took a break from B.B. (my take on the VRMMO story) and will be working on that after i post this, so the next chapter for D.I. might be tomorrow night or wednsday and it WILL have a link to the new story.... cross promotion FTW!!!


    third off, B.B.''s break might end up being longer than i originally though since i plan to do so much with it and i have to completely remake the working outline into a formal outline..... and then there are those other stories i wanna write.... and my actual life out side of being an Author of fiction........ i might just start popping out random chapters for it like a few times a month or so after its break instead of its old almost daily random releases cuz that was a bit much and burned me out on the story a few times (Totally what could happen to D.I now that i think of it.....) so yeah...... bad news on that front too, please hold your rotton fruit and negative backlash reviews.......


    forth off, me and my weird story hopping shtick.... yeah i just kinda give my attention to whatever i feel like giving it to at any given time, which is good since that gives me almost obsessive levels of focus for that story which results in better quality chapters and story telling. you all don''t want me to force myself to focus on something when i want to be writing something else because i''ll start getting bored of and resenting that story...... a bored and resentful Author isn''t good for stories people not at all...... so that said just hang with me through my weird ADD OCD story writing trips, especially since this next one and my weird multiple Author story experiment are the only other stories i plan to do in the foreseeable future......


    fifth and last off, said weird ass multi-Author story..... i want to try that, i think it might be fun..... so any readers who also write and want to try joining up with yours truly for a this go here: CLICK ME!!!!!</a>


    anyway that was a lot, but here is the chapter and it''s a long one so that should help make up for any soreness or raging my news may have caused..............


    ENJOY!!!


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Now that I had a far larger compendium of scenery my imagination could draw upon, I began to create new floors. Instinct was right about them costing more, it seemed that every new floor would cost 100 more animus and mana, but I still thought I had plenty of power to gain at least one whole level.


    Now what should I choose? Oh, this is beautiful! And so is this! And this seems nice too¡­.. Maybe a dash of this¡­.. Oh, and I can use this to separate the floor rooms instead of closed off hallways¡­.


    I had found a lot of things I liked in Hanna¡¯s memories, but I really liked the idea of making a vast garden like meadow. I would make it large, every room would be the size of a large hilly plain, but it would be filled with all sorts of flowers, bushes, and a handful of trees here and there. I wanted there to be no walls or ceiling, only open blue sky spotted with fluffy white clouds and a bright sun. I planned for every room to be accessed by a wide and deep river that lead back to nothingness when it was entered, and an elaborate decorated bridge that would be used to cross it and lead to the next room which would have a similar base theme but an entirely new and different layout. I used something that was like a dense and impassible fog to indicate the borders of the room, and I watched as the nothingness took shape based on my desires and imagination.


    It cost quite a good deal of power to change the room to match what I wanted, and I had to create all the various plants I wanted it to have myself from the samples that the mites brought back to the dungeon. It took an incredible amount of time, perhaps even days as I seemed to gain ever more samples that were added to my database as I worked on creating the first room of what would be my first real floor. I would lose and gain back power constantly, losing mana when creating the sky, sun, wind, river, bridge, and fog as well as losing animus as I created countless organic things, altered samples from my expanding database, placed what plants I wanted where I liked, and forcible corrupted some of my creations with my power.


    When I was finally finished with my new floor¡¯s first room I looked it over, it was truly a beautiful place. It matched nothing in Hanna¡¯s memories, but it had aspects of countless things I had found within them. It was like a beautiful natural garden, a vast meadow plain that I could happily look at for days. Now all it needed was inhabitants that could guard and maintain it, but also weren¡¯t too strong and matched the feel of the room. I already had an idea from my many alterations and creations of plants, and I thought it would be the perfect first level creation to inhabit this floor.


    I opened my database and took all the flowers and herbs that I liked the look of, and I began to alter them ever more into a sort of monster.


    ¡­¡­¡­..that was another thing Hanna¡¯s memories gave me, a term to give to my creations that were organic but were neither plants nor regular unaltered animals: monsters or creatures¡­. I¡¯m not sure if I like that, it seems rather negative in the connotations Hanna recognizes them in, but for now it will serve until I can find replacement terms that are better¡­¡­. I also appreciate the input about the human desire of greed and the expectation to collect and gain things from dungeons¡­¡­ I created some herbs and other plants that should be rather valuable for humans, nothing TOO impressive as that is apparently for deeper floors and levels, but there are some here¡­.. Now I think corrupting some into being toxic and poisonous isn¡¯t quite challenging enough, maybe if a made some of them into¡­¡­¡­¡­


    I had created something new, I called it flower soldier. It was a creature that looked exactly like one of a vast verity of flowers or herbs present, but it could move, it had petals and leaves hard and sharp enough to cut wood, it had thermal senses as well as a rudimentary level of intelligence and team work skills, and I also made it desire to fertilize itself with the blood of anything that had warm blood and wasn¡¯t recognized as one of my own. I thought that with some pretending to be the plants they appeared to be and some roaming the room on their roots they would prove to be an excellent first floor and first level creature, neither very strong nor utterly useless. The flower soldiers would also reproduce by spreading a slightly noxious cloud of pollen, and killing them would cause them to release all the pollen they had inside of them at once instead of just in controlled bursts every month. They could live for about a year and matured within a day of their pollen finding open ground. I expected that they would naturally have a large sustained population like this, and even killing them by the hundreds one day would have no real effect on the population except to perhaps increase it. They were perfect, and as an added bonus they were as beautiful as the plants they looked like and matched the theme I was going with perfectly.


    The flower soldiers were also very cheap to create, costing me less than 5 animus if I created them directly. Once I had made a few thousand of them, I felt I was done with this room and began to work on the next one for this floor. This new room took far less time to create as I already had all the things I needed to make it in my database, I only had to change the room¡¯s layout to my liking and add more flower soldiers once I had created the room.


    By the forth room I realized that I was beginning to lose too much power for my liking and I decided that my plan for there to be 10 rooms on this floor would be over what I could manage if I wanted to have an entire level in any amount of reasonable time.


    ¡­Yep, I think instead of adding ten rooms for every new floor on this level would be a bit out of my budget¡­.. Maybe just go by fives? Yes, that way the new floors and rooms as well as all the new creations in them should be able to give me back around the amount I would need to spend to make the next floors after a certain point¡­.. it would be like they pay for themselves after a time¡­¡­ but for now I should take a break and maybe get Hanna and Instinct¡¯s opinions on what I have so far¡­.


    I finished the fifth and final room on this floor and left for my core room. I couldn¡¯t wait to see Hanna¡¯s expression when she saw my new floor, maybe she would even make a face I had never seen before¡­


    <hr />


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­. By the gods Waynor¡­¡­¡­. This place is amazing¡­¡­.. It¡¯s like I¡¯m dreaming, even the walking flower things seem sort of pretty and cute¡­¡­. You made THIS with my memories?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Yes. I think I did a very good job, although if I had more memories to pull references from, I might have done better¡­.. Although, for now I am more than happy with just what I can get from your memories.¡± (Waynor)


    Hanna was making a new face that looked like a smile but she was also blushing and clutching her hands together against her chest. It was interesting and I think it might mean she was fascinated or perhaps captivated by what she saw. I was proud that my dungeon was so beautiful it caused her to be like this, I only wondered if I could get more joy by showing off even better floor and level themes to her.


    ¡°And with more memories¡­¡­ you could make more places like this? More paradises?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Well yes, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll do another theme that is so similar to this one for a while¡­. Maybe a forest theme for the next level and a mountain theme after that¡­¡­¡­. Besides, where would I get more memories, Instinct cant share any of hers with me even with my memory-orb and I already have all of yours¡­.¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°And my brother and I will get to live and go to these places without having to worry about our safety or being attacked by your creations?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Well yes you can I guess¡­¡­ but why would you want me to move your room onto a different floor?¡± (Waynor)


    Hanna suddenly tried to wrap her arms around me, but only had them go through my orb like consciousness. She looked confused for a moment before her face began to become even redder from her blushing.


    ¡°Oh, right¡­. Your body is actually a dungeon core miles away from here¡­¡­ I knew that..¡­ Anyway! Waynor, listen I¡¯ve decided that maybe being one of your ¡°inhabitants¡± isn¡¯t so bad after all. It has some unexpected perks, and then there is the food¡­¡­ I swear if you entrust that memory orb to me, I WILL get more memories that you can use!¡± (Hanna)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Wow, maybe Hanna is already as loyal as the mites are? No, I don¡¯t think so, she still doesn¡¯t seem ready to kill her own kind if I asked her to¡­¡­ maybe about half a mite¡¯s loyalty then? Yes that seems about right¡­¡­ huh, I guess I can leave the memory-orb in her care¡­


    ¡°Ok, take care of the memory-orb then¡­..¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°I WILL!!!! ..........Huh, maybe I could ask anyone who comes into the dungeon to touch it as a charge to enter? Or maybe¡­¡­¡­¡± (Hanna)


    I left Hanna to talk to herself as I began to do what instinct suggested. She said that ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have so many herbs just there on the first floor Waynor, at least spread them out so that the better ones are only on the last few floors of the level. Make those invaders have to work for what they want, also good thinking with the look alike corrupted and creature plants THOSE should make collecting anything from your dungeon quite¡­¡­ entertaining to watch¡­.¡±. Instinct also said I should add new creatures besides the flower soldiers, she recommended adding something new on floors 3 and 5.


    I had two things in my database that seemed like they could match the theme of this level quite well, one was a sample that the mites brought back the other day and the other was something that just entered my dungeon today and died somehow. I opened my database and looked at the sample that was listed as a type of lesser forest pixie and an elemental called a wisp.


    The pixie I altered quite a bit, they already looked something like female humans but their looks were rather unattractive as well as having sharp uneven needle like teeth and no magic. I of course wouldn¡¯t allow such useless and beauty lacking creatures be a part of my dungeon as they were, so I changed them. I made them smarter, capable of speech, reshaped them into more beautiful forms that I used memories from Hanna to create, and I even gave them a desire to clothe themselves as modesty was apparently very important to humans and I could appreciate the beauty behind concealing one¡¯s body from others. Then I added something that took a great deal of mana, I gave them the ability to use magic. They were only able to use moderate illusion magic and simple bewitchments, but that should be more than enough for my first level. As I did not want my first level to be too difficult, I also gave them the natural desire to not kill intruders but place them under a deep trance while the pixies rob their prey of all its possessions. I was fairly proud of the results, a beautiful if small fair-skinned maiden with wings like a dragonfly and who seemed to sparkle, who also would wear clothes made from flowers, use magic, and rob their prey of anything they had. They could reproduce amongst themselves somehow even though all pixies were female, and I shortened their gestation periods to only one weak. They would live for thousands of years and also actively control their own population and birth rate. I decided to place them on the fifth floor and above for this level.


    Next was the wisp, an elemental with neutral mana and no elemental alignment. These I changed to also use illusion magic, but would also be able to use simple mental magic as well. The wisps would be able to read the surface thoughts of those near them and use those thoughts to trick them with illusions. The wisps were also able to cast minor mana projectiles and pluses, though I¡¯m sure they were still weak enough to not pose much of a threat, just enough to entertain me and perhaps kill a few of the more useless invaders. I also made them a beautiful silver color not unlike Instinct¡¯s and my own core bodies. The wisps could split into two whenever they had gained enough mana, and since I lowered that amount drastically they would likely soon match the numbers of the flower soldiers or perhaps even exceed them. I decided that they would be on the third floor and up.


    ¡°Waynor would it be weird if I asked you to make me a house on a lake beside a meadow like this one that had thousands of friendly and playful fennics roaming in it? Because that¡¯s where I want to live in the future, ok? Oh, and maybe you could even make a-¡­¡­¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Ok, but I want my dungeon to have at least five or six levels first¡­.¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°¡­¡­.Wait, you actually would? Maybe selling myself to a dungeon wasn¡¯t all that bad of an idea after all¡­¡­¡­ Why does the nicest guy I ever get to know outside of my own family have to be a shiny crystal that kills people and literally owns my soul¡­.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Of course I would Hanna, your happiness is important to me-¡­..¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Why couldn¡¯t he have been some nice noble looking for someone to take as a wife? WHY GODS, WHY!?!?!?!?!?! Hell I¡¯d even settle for a cute looking commoner, but why a rock? Do you hate me so much gods? DO YOU?!?!?!?!?!¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°¡­¡­Just like Instinct¡¯s happiness is important to me, maybe even more so.¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°¡­¡­.. And then he says something like that, and suddenly I don¡¯t mind so much¡­¡­¡± (Hanna)


    It was fun to watch Hanna¡¯s expressions change, almost as fun as dressing her up to make her more beautiful. Unfortunately I had other things I wanted to do more than enjoy Hanna¡¯s emotional changes, I had more floors to make after all.


    ¡°Hanna, feel free to explore as you like, I¡¯m going to go grow my dungeon now.¡± (Waynor)


    Hanna smiled at me and nodded her head.


    ¡°Sure thing Waynor, I¡¯ll just ask the paperwei-¡­.. Instinct how to get back to my room when I¡¯m ready to leave. Have fun Waynor!¡± (Hanna)


    I left while Hanna waved goodbye to me.


    She sure has changed a lot since the first week she was here¡­¡­ I wonder if all humans can change so much in such a short amount of time¡­¡­. She has even accepted our plan to slowly corrupt her brother with my power to strip the gods influence over him, even when she made such a fuss about it before¡­¡­.. I wonder if it¡¯s because she is beginning to be corrupted herself so she just doesn¡¯t mind much anymore? Maybe Instinct would know, I should ask her some time¡­¡­.


    <hr />


    It took days, but I had finally made ten floors, an entire level. I went back and forth between having plenty of power and not nearly enough during this time, but now I was faced with new problem. I had to have a boss, it was an urge that was consuming me and I couldn¡¯t even consider growing another floor until I made one. The urge started when I made my ninth new floor, but I powered through it since I knew that I didn¡¯t want my core floor to count as anything in my dungeon besides being the last floor and where I lived. I made a new tenth floor, but after it was done the urge became unbearable.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    I was watching the mites I had sent on a mission for samples return, and I had just told Ralt that making the big spider thing forcibly smaller would be fine as long as it was alive inside my dungeon before it died. Watching the mites work and struggle helped to distract me from my urge to have a boss for my level.


    Maybe Ralt could be my boss, that would be easy all I would have to do is promote him as a creation and bind him to the passageway between floor ten and the next floor¡­¡­¡­¡­ No, Instinct said that creatures on the level of the mites shouldn¡¯t be on any floors before 30, otherwise the dungeon would be too hard and it would attract threats instead of regular invaders¡­¡­ Then maybe a¡­¡­. no, that wouldn¡¯t match the theme at all¡­¡­..


    The Spider thing died inside my dungeon adding it¡¯s species to my database and giving me 462 animus and 103 mana. I thanked Ralt and the mites, and told them how happy the samples they brought made me all the while thinking of what my boss should be.


    ¡­¡­..Maybe I should just make something new? Yes, I should have more than enough power to do that, maybe even enough to name it afterwards too! ¡­¡­.I like that idea, maybe a mix of wisp and pixie? Something that can be a sort of peaceful guardian for the first level, but still able to keep invaders from advancing when it needs to¡­¡­..


    I found myself on the tenth floor in the final room and at the door, not bridge, that lead on to the next floor. I had not even noticed myself come here, I was too distracted thinking about creating my new boss creature. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care much about this fact though, the need to add a boss to my dungeon was all consuming by this point.


    I opened my database and began with pixies as a base for the new creature I was designing. I made the body larger, the size of a human using Hanna and her memories as references, then I removed the wings. I added the wisps abilities and qualities to the creature next, giving it the ability to better use magic, feed of mana, and become intangible at will. I spent an unknown amount of time on the face and features, but in the end what I created was something of immense and captivating beauty. With high cheek bones, perfectly symmetrical features, eyes whose color¡¯s changed with the creatures mood, a nose that was the perfect size and had the perfect amount of curve to it, a mouth that was delicate and pristine , and lastly long pale hair that seemed to shimmer and change its color every time one looked at it. It was a creature with great illusionary, mental, and bewitchment magic, an eternal lifespan, incredible intelligence perhaps beyond even that of the seven races, and minor mana projectile attacks. I made it so that it would be neutral to any invaders that it meet, neither attacking them nor letting them pass without a trial. The trial¡¯s it would give were illusionary situations it would design for these who entered my dungeon, and depending on whether or not it liked the person the trial it gave could help them realize something about themselves and grow or cause them great suffering and anguish. I called this type of female creature a muse, and when I created one I immediately bound it¡¯s being to the door leading to the next floor.


    When the muse looked up for the first time, it clothed itself in a remnant of pure magic and bowed to me.


    ¡°My lord dungeon, I live to serve you and to fulfill my duty as guardian for this floor''s way into the next. I offer you my humblest thanks for your creation of me, my only hope is to not fail in your expectations of me¡­..¡± (Muse)


    I was happy with my newest creation, the muse was not only incredibly beautiful but also what I felt was the perfect guardian for what I thought of as my safe floors for those who entered my dungeon. She would be the one to warn and prepare them for the dangers that would lie ahead, as well as the one to turn them back if they were not capable of facing them in a way that couldn¡¯t even at least provide me some amusement. A guardian that would not kill, but had many ways to defend herself from almost anything and everything. The only thing that I could find disappointing about this situation was that it cost practically all my power to create this muse, so I could not name her or do much of anything else.


    ¡°Hello, you are the new boss for this floor and this level. I¡¯m Waynor, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°As it is you, my lord Waynor. I am at your disposal for anything you may need of me, or me for¡­..¡± (Muse)


    The muse smiled in a way that I only recognized from two of Hanna¡¯s memories, I didn¡¯t quite understand the meaning behind the smile yet though. I think it had to do with lust, but I couldn¡¯t quite be sure. I would have to ask Hanna or instinct about it later.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wanted to name you but I don¡¯t have enough power to do that now so you¡¯ll have to wait¡­..¡± (Waynor)


    The muse¡¯s expression changed to one of shock and then sheer joy and happiness. She started to get up, but then just bowed deeper to the point her head was pressed into the ground.


    ¡°Y-you would o-offer me a n-name? Even when I have only existed for a mere few moments? This humble servant is unworthy of such great benediction! My lord Waynor, your kindness is as bondless as the great mana flow! I would gladly wait an eon if that was what it took to be named!¡± (Muse)


    I looked at the muse, she sure was taking this very seriously. I don¡¯t remember Ralt being like this when I offered to name him, maybe muses and mites were just different like that?


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to wait that long, just a few days, maybe a few weeks just to be safe¡­¡­¡± (Waynor)


    The muse looked up at me with a serious expression on her face.


    ¡°I hereby swear that I shall serve you and only you loyally and truly for all of time itself if you but ask it of me, and even if you do not I would still do so of my own will. Even should another dungeon lay claim to me, I shall still be yours. Always and forever Lord Waynor, I shall be yours.¡± (Muse)


    I felt really happy at that, but I also felt a little confused. It was nice that she was already so loyal and dedicated and that brought me great joy, but I also didn¡¯t understand what the muse meant by another dungeon claiming her. I created the muse and she would live in my dungeon so she was mine, nothing should be able to take her not even another dungeon. At least I don¡¯t think another dungeon could. It didn¡¯t FEEL like another could, just that the muse belonged to me¡­ Maybe it would be best to ask Instinct just to be sure though.


    I thanked the muse and left her to her new duty and as I left I was already thinking of ways to design her a house or home in the room.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.Well, I guess this is fine for now, I shall just have to wait until later to name her ¡­¡­.. Next I think I should lay some traps for this level, nothing lethal but traps nonetheless¡­¡­¡­.. But first I have this new urge to make a new floor that contains a portation door back to the entrance of the dungeon and a door to continue on to the next floor¡­¡­ Is this the resting floor? For some reason I feel like it won¡¯t cause me to lose any power to make¡­¡­. Maybe I should just make that now¡­¡­¡­.. I think I¡¯ll add some tables and chairs for sitting in, a few simple beds, and a few more of those bathrooms the seven races need¡­¡­¡­.


    <hr />


    It had been a month. I had made the resting floor, created a home for the muse on the floor she guarded although she seemed to spend more time in my own core room than there, placed many magical traps throughout the first level as well as traps that used moving plants, increased the numbers of the first level creatures, redesigned and redecorated the entrance floor, and now I was about to name the muse.


    I looked at where the muse sat talking with Hanna at the table, and went over to her.


    ¡°So, I decided I can name you now. I¡¯m sure I have enough power now, and I have finished adjusting and trapping the first level. I¡¯ve even made a two floor buffer between my the resting floor and core room that the mites are still making into immense mazes, so I think it should be fine to name you now.¡± (Waynor)


    The muse immediately looked up and smiled.


    ¡°Really!?!? You¡¯re ready to name me, lord Waynor!?!?¡± (Muse)


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°Well good for you! See I told you Waynor wouldn¡¯t have forgotten about it, he just tends to lose track of time¡­.. and forgets to make food for entire days¡­.. and says really nice things but then immediately crushes your dreams afterwards¡­¡­ and does not understand the fragile heart of a maiden¡­¡­ and makes the perfect beauty and expects you to not to feel inadequate when your around her¡­.¡­ and refuses to make someone a bicorn pegasus even when they beg¡­¡­ and treats an innocent young woman like a pet sometimes without even seeming to notice¡­¡­ But he does keep his word, Waynor IS good at that!!! So you had nothing to worry about, and now I can stop calling you ¡®hey you, muse girl¡¯ all the time!¡± (Hanna)


    ¡­¡­..Hanna still seems angry about that day or two without food, even though I said I was sorry and humans should be able to last a few days without food¡­¡­.. and I don¡¯t want to spend power on something as expensive as a bicorn pegasus, I would have to save up power for years to purchase it at this point¡­¡­..


    ¡°So my Lord Waynor, what shall my name be?¡± (Muse)


    The muse looked up at me with expectant and hopeful eyes.


    ¡°Muse, from now on you will be named¡­¡­. Loria.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­.. Loria¡± (Loria)


    Loria began to glow and when she stopped, there was an intricate marking that looked like five interwoven lines curving with her brow on her forehead that changed colors with her eyes. Somehow, the marking added to and complemented her beauty perfectly and seemed to make her all the more attractive.


    ¡°I¡­¡­ have a name¡­.... I-I have a name! I¡¯m Loria! I¡¯m Loria the muse, servant of lord Waynor the dungeon and boss of the first level of his dungeon! I am more than I ever was before, and now I need not even fear death! Thank you lord Waynor! A thousand thanks be to you my great creator and lord!¡± (Loria)


    I felt joy from how happy receiving a name made Loria, I didn¡¯t even mind that it took so much power. I still had more than my 100 point limit anyway, the rest I could regain in time.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome Loria.¡± (Waynor)


    Loria made a squee type noise and run up to the pedestal that held my core, once she reached it she placed her lips against my core and did the act called ¡°Kissing¡± which I understood was done mainly to convey great affection. This hadn¡¯t been the first time that Loria had done this, and for some reason Instinct didn¡¯t seem to like it or her when she kissed my core and Hanna would start acting strange by mumbling and talking to herself. I thought it was nice that Loria was so willing to show her affection though, it showed that she liked living here and being a part of my dungeon as well as being my friend. There was nothing wrong with that¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­the muse. I hate the muse. I hate the muse. I hate the muse. I hate the muse. I hate the muse. I hate¡­¡­¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°¡­¡­..always has to do that? ¡­¡­¡­.I mean I don¡¯t really care, Waynor¡¯s just a shiny rock anyway¡­¡­¡­.. But maybe a rock is fine too? ¡­¡­. NO bad Hanna, no thinking like that!!! ¡­¡­.Oh gods, now I¡¯ve started to do it too¡­¡­. It¡¯s like when I was training those specialty slaves, you treat them like something long enough and they begin to act and think that way themselves¡­¡­¡­. But I don¡¯t want to be just a pet human to Waynor¡­¡­¡­¡­ I mean I don¡¯t want to be a pet¡­¡­¡­. Waynor is just a rock, a shiny, sparkly, glowing silver rock that gives great presents¡­ and has a nice personality¡­.. and is a good cook¡­.. and listens to what I have to say¡­¡­.. NO, he¡¯s a rock Hanna, a ROCK¡­.. Oh gods I¡¯m losing my mind aren¡¯t I? That must be it, I¡¯m slowly going insane here and my only coping mechanism is developing feelings for-¡­¡­ Nope, that can¡¯t be it because I don¡¯t think of Waynor like that¡­...¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Hehehehehe¡­. I got a name, lord Waynor gave me a name! I wonder what I should do to repay him, though¡­. Maybe I could polish his core? Or perhaps I might ¡®Polish¡¯ his core¡­. Hehehehe¡­..¡± (Loria)


    As I watched Hanna start pulling her hair and watching the ceiling again while Loria took on a pose of deep thought that was occasionally broken by fits of giggling, I noticed Ralt come into the room.


    ¡°Master Waynor, there is a group of outsiders that can be seen approaching your Dungeon from the entrance.¡± (Ralt)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Oh, is the guild finally here, what Hanna knew about them was fairly interesting¡­¡­ I cant wait to see what they¡¯ll do when they arrive. Will they be guests or intruders, will they live through my dungeon by staying where they should or die by entering the mite mazes¡­¡­¡­ this should be really fun either way!!!


    ¡°Hanna the guild is here! We need to go greet them, oh and Loria you can go back to your door whenever you like I guess since as a boss your porting there doesn¡¯t cost anything. Just be sure you¡¯re back in time to meet anyone who makes it to the tenth floor¡¯s final room, ok?¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°Of course my lord, now tell me do you prefer spit polish or shinning? I¡¯m fine with either myself¡­.. Both let me rub all over your core after all¡­¡­¡± (Loria)


    ¡°I seriously hope one of the invaders kills you muse, I honestly and sincerely do¡­¡­¡± (Instinct)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­I wonder what the guild is going to do!!!!!


    <hr />


    [ Name: Waynor               Titles: ¡°Icon of Patience¡±, ¡°Self-Named Dungeon¡±, ¡°The One Who Endures¡±        Rank: 1                 Dominion Level: 0            Territory: N/A Dungeon Views: {invaders (threat)} {overview} ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 12,423} { Animus: 42,791 }     Class: ???             State: flawless core]


    [ levels: 1            Floors: 13        Inhabitants (slaves/livestock/pets/etc¡­ included): {???: 1} {humans: 1} {Mites: 1,000,000+ (Hive Mothers: 12) (Warrior Mites: 97)} {Elementals: (Wisps: 123,421)} {Fae: (Pixies: 49,203) (Muse: 1)} {Plants: (Corrupted plants: 1,000,000+)(Carnivious vines: 34) (flower soldiers: 354,422)}  Traps (magical/physical/other¡­): {spike: 1032} {pitfall: 2304} {arrow: 921} {wall: 531} {ceiling: 323} {fire: 455} {poison: 343} {acid: 146} {maze: 3} {Magic: 41,390} {Other(Original/Unconventional design): 2,133} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: expansion, building, decoration, design, trap creation, core growth} {Animus: dungeon lord creation, inhabitant creation, soul stone creation/granting, name bestowal,  mutation/evolution/etc¡­, core growth} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: magic, deconstruction, siphoning, absorption, portation (in-dungeon), Teleportation, item/magic recycling (automatic)} {Animus: siphoning, absorption, remodification/recreation, life recycling (automatic)} ]


    [ Stored/Owned Bosses (organic): {Dungeon lord (Unknown): 1} {Muse: 1}      Possible/Purchasable Creations: {¡Þ} ]


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    yay the menu is back, and yay i changed it some more since we last saw it so that it made sense with the story! YAAAAAYYYY!!!!


    alright so anyway here we are at the end of the chapter and everyone is probably thinking a lot of different things, so let me try and answer those things right now.


    no Hanna isnt insane, shes just in denial and has a BAD case of Stockholm syndrome mixed with genuine affection... and she talks to herself a lot because of stress and the fact she is the only human there that is conscious.....


    yes Loria is a BIIIIITTTTT of a pervert.........


    no there WONT be NTR in this story..... sweet Sally dont start that shit again........


    yes Waynor heard what Instinct was saying, but after a month of stuff like that he has just gotten used to it and thinks it''s her way of being friends with Loria......


    Yes the mites have made the new mazes into horrible and nightmarish death traps (beautiful horrible deathtraps.... Waynor was sure to stress the beauty aspect of things pretty heavily......)..... invaders should stay on the nice happy floors with the flower monsters if they want to live.......


    and lastly because some comment asked about it: Most dungeon stories don''t make an army to invade the outside world because then the story only really has two possible endings. either the dungeon wins and the outside world is enslaved or destroyed, or the dungeon loses and it is likely killed as a result. it really isn''t all that creative or fun to write as that same story type could be done with anything really, not just a dungeon..... in this story Waynor and some of his people will go into the outside world yes, but the main story will revolve around the dungeon itself and not that outside world..... them''s just the breaks......


    anyway point out any glaring errors, answer the poll, and do all that other stuff i ask fans do at the bottom Author note.....


    [th_085_.gif]


    Author Out..........

 Chapter 9: A valiant attempt to lose ones job, and a party unlike any other .....

    so here we are...... i made a new story just like i said i would, check that out here:   LoZ:I</a>


    that should be a decent read, and i''ll get to writing more chapters on it in a bit.....


    oh, and in case you all forgot or are putting it out of your mind, tomorrow is the last day that i work on this story before finishing ark 2 of B.B. and i also have some business that day so i might not even get to write or post a chapter..... so this might be the last D.I. chapter for a week or so. enjoy it while you can, or save it for later like some sort of ration for when you really need it..... either way is fine by me......


    Anyway this is from a new character''s POV, the guild master of the nearest Explorer''s Guild...... should be an intresting read as all the characters introduced will be important in some way....


    i''ll edit this......... sometime...... sometime not now..........


    ENJOY!!!!!


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Johana Yanzya


    <hr />


    I really didn¡¯t know what to think when I meet with the young mercenary leader called Vera, but if what she was saying now was true then this was too big a chance to pass up.


    ¡°So just at the border with the elven territory there is a new dungeon, one that has been confirmed to talk?¡± (Johana)


    The young woman just crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Yes. I would say that it is fairly dangerous for a new dungeon as well, seeing as it killed so many armed men. Do with the information what you will, I just want my reward for giving it to you.¡± (Vera)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­. My, aren¡¯t you a pleasant one¡­¡­ I guess you weren¡¯t given looks AND the charming personality to go with them¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°The guild will investigate, if your claim is found to be true then you will be given a waver for fifty silverettes that can be exchanged at any of the explorer¡¯s guild many branch locations.¡± (Johana)


    The woman¡¯s foot began to tap softly, I could hear it even if it was faint. Greater hearing was one of the perks of being a half elf along with the slowed aging process of course.


    ¡°And how long would this confirmation take?¡± (Vera)


    I smiled, from what I had seen of this woman she was not going to like this news.


    ¡°About two to three weeks. A month tops.¡± (Johana)


    The woman¡¯s left eye twitched and then she got up and just sighed.


    ¡°Send the waver to the Boarhouse bar in a month¡¯s time, we¡¯re done here.¡± (Vera)


    ¡°Oh, but there are a few more-¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. And she shut the door on me. Bitch¡­. But a pretty one at that¡­.. Haaaaaahhhhhh¡­..¡± (Johana)


    I was watching the glass on the door to my office shake from the force of it slamming, the woman might have been young and slim but she seemed plenty strong. Shame she had such a poor attitude and chose the life of a sell sword, I could use more explorers like her.


    I sighed and leaned back in my chair as I let my business expression fall from my face.


    ¡­¡­.. Some days I wonder why I ever accepted the post as guild master for this branch in the first place¡­¡­.. it was so much more fun to just go out in the world and explore¡­¡­ discovering new places, mapping out areas, fighting monsters, and entering dungeons¡­¡­ man that life sure beat the hell out of managing this place and doing paperwork¡­¡­.. Haaaaaaahhhhhh¡­.. Wait, maybe I CAN get out and do that again! This dungeon has been reported to be able to talk, and it DID talk to some random mercs so maybe it would talk with explorers? And if it did maybe we could work out a deal with it, if our branch made a contract with a dungeon the upper echelons would HAVE to send someone more qualified to replace me as guild master! I could go back out into the field again!!!


    I shot out of my chair and went to the door.


    ¡°Benj! Benj get a team together there is a very important investigation that I want to see to personally!¡± (Johana)


    I heard the voice of my secretary sound back.


    ¡°Why the fuck should I!?!? Do that shit yourself Jo, I have better things to do right now¡­.¡± (Benj)


    ¡°Benj I¡¯m your boss and I¡¯m telling you that I¡¯m trying to get fired, if this goes well I¡¯ll be out of the guild master job!¡± (Johana)


    As I walked out into the hallway I saw the man put down whatever scroll he was reading before giving me a smile.


    ¡°By the gods why didn¡¯t you say so sooner¡­¡­ anything to get your ass fired Jo, you are utter shit to have as a boss. I¡¯ll find some guys willing to go with you, when do you leave?¡± (Benj)


    ¡­¡­. Benj, an asshole to the end¡­¡­ but no one is better at what he does when he decides to do it. I just hope for his sake and mine that this idea works¡­¡­¡­.


    I smiled.


    ¡°Tomorrow. I¡¯ll leave tomorrow.¡± (Johana)


    <hr />


    I was in my room sitting in front of a communication mirror, I was in the middle of talking with some of the higher ups of the explorer¡¯s guild and things seemed to be going well.


    ¡°So you have heard from a reliable source that there is a talking dungeon that is near your branch?¡± (Guild head 1)


    ¡­¡­..Um, yeah sure if a merc leader who didn¡¯t actually hear the thing talk is a reliable source¡­..


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± (Johana)


    ¡°And you believe that if handled carefully this dungeon might be willing to make a deal with us?¡± (Guild head 2)


    ¡­¡­¡­ Dear gods, I hope so¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am, I believe that if I were the one to handle the negotiations I might be able to secure a contract with the dungeon.¡± (Johana)


    ¡°Contracts are not things dungeons give lightly, Halfling. What makes you think someone like you could ever get one out of a dungeon?¡± (Guild head 3)


    Well I¡¯m not a close-minded old fart who doesn¡¯t seem to understand that the days of racism being accepted in an organization like ours have long passed, for one¡­¡­¡­¡­. Then there is the fact I would probably not be above begging and bribing a dungeon to get my way¡­¡­. Or maybe I can just offer it your old ass as a sacrifice, that should show I¡¯m nice and open to all SORTS of negotiations¡­¡­.


    ¡°Because I have more experience than any other member of our guild in this region, and as acting guild master of this branch location I have the authority to negotiate with any party that could prove to provide assets to our organization. Sir.¡± (Johana)


    So there! Damn racist old fuck¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°Well I still think it would be better if you weren¡¯t th-¡­¡­¡­¡± (Guild head 3)


    ¡°Yes well, I think that your idea to negotiate with the dungeon is wonderful and I can think of no better for the job! Just thinking of all the soul stones and resources the guild could stand to gain if this succeeds¡­¡­ Well if this turns out anything like the other two dungeons that the guild has contracts with, we stand to gain unimaginable amounts of profit and perhaps even another relatively safer place to train our people with. The only thing is I feel that you might need a bit more to bargain with than what you have at your branch if you want to catch this dungeons attention. I move that we allow the guild master to negotiate using the combined assets of all the branches in that region instead of just her own branch. All in favor?¡± (Guild head 4)


    ¡°Aye.¡± (Guild Head 1)


    ¡°Aye.¡± (Guild Head 2)


    ¡°Nay.¡± (Guild Head 3)


    ¡°Aye.¡± (Guild Head 5)


    ¡°Aye.¡± (Guild Head 6)


    ¡°Aye.¡± (Guild Head 7)


    ¡°Aye.¡± (Guild Head 8)


    ¡°Nay.¡± (Guild Head 9)


    ¡°And I vote Aye, and the motion carries by majority vote. Good luck Guild master Yanzya. Well.... I have better things to do than sit at a mirror and listen to you people yammer on and on about nothing, I have a redhead and a blonde waiting for me in the other room and I wouldn¡¯t want to try their patience any longer. I¡¯m out people, don¡¯t call again for at least three days, I¡¯ll be busy¡­.¡± (Guild Head 4)


    ¡°Well if the perverted fool is leaving so am I, he¡¯s the only reason these meetings are ever bearable after all¡­.¡± (Guild head 6)


    ¡°I suppose I should leave as well, it is getting rather late¡­¡± (Guild head 9)


    ¡°Then I suppose we shall bring this meeting to a close. Good luck guild master Yanzya, you are dismissed.¡± (Guild head 1)


    ¡°Yes sir, thank you sir.¡± (Johana)


    I waved my hand before the mirror causing the enchantment on it to deactivate. As I looked into the now simple mirror, I saw a huge smile on my face.


    I did it, I got approval just like I thought I would¡­¡­. I even got permission to put more assets on the table while I¡¯m in the negotiations with the dungeon¡­¡­ everything is going well, now I just have to get there and hope this dungeon can and is actually willing to talk and not just try and kill me¡­¡­ oh, and I guess I should hope they actually do send someone to replace me if this works, huh? ¡­¡­¡­ They have to, I mean that¡¯s what happened those other two times, so why would this time be any different?


    I went to my bed and lay down, before I went to sleep I looked at my old field equipment I took out and hung on my dresser for tomorrow.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­. Well no matter what, tomorrow I become a real explorer again at least¡­¡­. I hope that Benj found some decent people for me to party with, I would hate to have to spend this trip babysitting some F or E rank greenhorns¡­¡­..


    I let that thought pass as I fell asleep. Not even Benj would be that much of a dick about something as important as this, not when it was for his own benefit as well as mine.


    <hr />


    ¡­..Well at least now I know¡­. Benj is in fact, THAT MUCH OF A DICK!!!


    I was looking at the four people in front of me that Benj found to be my party for this investigation, and felt my eyes keep getting drawn to the one odd person out. She was an elf, and she seemed like she could hardly hold the staff in her hands, let alone USE it for anything.


    ¡°Darek, rank B. I¡¯m a front liner, no magic but I¡¯m good with my battle axe and shield. If we run into any trouble just get behind me, my armor should be sturdy enough to take a good licking no problem.¡± (Darek)


    ¡°Feris the quick, rank C soon to be B. I¡¯m more of a middle liner, but I dabble as a front liner depending on the situation. I¡¯m a decent shot with a bow, but daggers thrown and otherwise are more my shtick. Pleased to go adventuring and exploring with you all.¡± (Feris)


    ¡°Erica, Rank A. Swordswoman and front liner. It¡¯s a pleasure.¡± (Erica)


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m Cecilia¡­. The nice man at the counter, Benj, said that this should be a good first mission to get my feet wet with as an explorer? I, well¡­.. I¡¯m rank F, and I¡¯m a healer so I should be in the back lines right? I¡¯m kinda new, I just joined the guild today¡­.¡± (Cecilia)


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..I¡¯m going to kill Benj¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Oh well, at least he was smart enough to put her with us, we can protect and carry her probably even without needing healing with a party this solid. Though I really am not looking forward to all the babysitting and handholding I¡¯ll be doing¡­¡­ Well the girl will have to learn somehow I guess, and this should be an easy enough first mission for her if everything goes well. And if it doesn¡¯t then she¡¯ll probably be the first to die, hopefully without taking anyone else down with her¡­¡­


    ¡°Ok then¡­. I¡¯m Johana, guild master and a rank A magic archer. I¡¯ll also be serving as the leader for this little expedition, are there any questions?¡± (Johana)


    The elf girl Cecilia timidly raised her hand whereas the thin and wiry boy Feris just called out.


    ¡°Yeah um, after this is over do you and Erica maybe want to party up with me again? Or maybe we could all just get closer while we share this adventure together, real close¡­..¡± (Feris)


    Erica¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed this whole time, and even now as she turned and looked the boy Feris up and down there was not even a hint of any emotion in her face or body language.


    ¡°Touch me and I remove your hands.¡± (Erica)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Ohhhhh. A cool and tough beauty type is she¡­. Very nice, if I wasn¡¯t on a job right now¡­. Well at least I have someone I can enjoy looking at and who can handle herself on this mission besides the cute but likely useless greenhorn elven eye-candy.


    ¡°You are going to get nowhere with me kid..... Trust me, better than you have tried and failed for the same reason you will.¡± (Johana)


    The boy just cracked a smile.


    ¡°That sounds like a challenge to my ears¡­.¡± (Feris)


    ¡°Um hate to tell you this kid, but the guild master here is into women not us men-folk. You ain¡¯t got a shot in hell¡­.¡± (Darek)


    ¡°Challenge heard and accepted. I will gain the heart of the fair lady during this adventure!¡± (Feris)


    ¡°She¡¯s also turning 103 this year if Benj is to be believed.¡± (Darek)


    ¡°And looks all the lovelier for it¡­¡­.¡± (Feris)


    ¡°It is very rude to talk about a lady¡¯s age. Idiots.¡± (Erica)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.Well at least this mission should be lively with people like this as my party¡­.. And I think I really will have to look into ending Benj¡¯s life when I finish this¡­¡­ I never should¡¯ve gotten so drunk I told him my actual age¡­¡­.


    ¡°Um, excuse me? Where are we going exactly?¡± (Cecilia)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Ugh this is going to be a long trip isn¡¯t it? Well there could be worse things than acting as a tutor to a cute elf girl, maybe I can even get her to call me big sis¡­¡­ Heh, that might actually make it worth the trouble of babysitting the girl¡­¡­.


    <hr />


    We had been traveling for nine days now, and in that time I had gotten tired of both Feris¡¯ sexual harassment and Cecilia¡¯s constant questions about everything. At least Erica would make a little cut somewhere on Feris when he got to the point of bothering her, but Cecilia couldn¡¯t be handled the same way, she was just a curious greenhorn after all¡­


    Suddenly the elf girl was next to me and pointing at one of the caves in this rock formation that the dungeon was supposed to be in.


    ¡°Um big sis, is that the dungeon we are looking for?¡± (Cecilia)


    ¡°No, that¡¯s just a cave.¡± (Johana)


    ¡°Then that one?¡± (Cecilia)


    ¡°Another cave, look Cecilia we are looking for the entrance to a dungeon. Dungeon entrances always have an abundance of mana belonging to that dungeon, you¡¯re a healer mage right? That means you should be able to see or at least sense mana if you try, so when you find an entrance of decent size with strange mana around it THAT will be our dungeon.¡± (Johana)


    The girl nodded shyly and smiled at me.


    ¡­¡­ She may be greener than grass in spring, but damn if she isn¡¯t one of the cutest things I¡¯ve ever seen when she smiles¡­¡­ Haaaaaahhhhh maybe I¡¯m being a bit too harsh about judging her, Cecilia has only been an explorer for a week or so now. Maybe she¡¯ll become a great-¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°So is that it, big sis?¡± (Cecilia)


    I looked where the girl was pointing, it was a crack that was barely big enough for even the wiry Feris to squeeze through with no mana that could be from a dungeon around it.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­Or maybe she isn¡¯t cut out for this after all, and will make at best D rank in her entire life''s time¡­¡­..


    ¡°No. that is.¡± (Erica)


    I looked at where the lovely Erica who has been my solace for many things in these past days of traveling. That was definitely the entrance to a dungeon, and a rather elaborate and elegant one at that.


    ¡°Huh, how did I not see that?¡± (Johana)


    I felt an armored hand clap my shoulder in a friendly way, before Darek began walking towards the dungeon entrance.


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped, you were mentoring Cecilia not searching for the entrance like we were.¡± (Darek)


    Erica nodded.


    ¡°You were busy.¡± (Erica)


    ¡°Wait, where is Feris? Shouldn¡¯t we wait for him before we go in?¡± (Cecilia)


    Darek called over his shoulder.


    ¡°Erica tied the kid from a tree a while back for trying to touch her ass.¡± (Darek)


    ¡°Forget the pervert. Coming Cecilia, guild master?¡± (Erica)


    As Erica followed Darek towards the dungeon entrance Cecilia looked back at me with a worried expression.


    ¡°Are we just going to leave him behind? How is he supposed to get down from something like that?¡± (Cecilia)


    I patted the girls back as I guided her forward with me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if the boy couldn¡¯t escape something like that he wouldn¡¯t have made C rank in the first place, besides he probably deserves to be left behind if he¡¯s gonna keep acting like this¡­.¡± (Johana)


    ¡°Oh, um, ok¡­¡­¡± (Cecilia)


    As we caught up with Darek and the lovely Erica in front of the entrance, I readied myself for worst even as I hoped for everything to go well.


    As we entered the dungeon the first thing I noticed was how beautiful this place was. It was well light, the walls had elaborate and elegant line decorations on them, all the stone seemed smoothened, polished, and well maintained, and there were even decorations and furnishings. The next thing I noticed was how all the tables and chairs placed in orderly clusters made the room seem like a welcoming and high end restaurant or meeting place. It was almost as if they were meant to be used as a spot to relax and leisurely take a meal, chat, or what was more likely given the location plan out an expedition or trip into the dungeon itself.


    The next thing I noticed was of course what seemed to have caused everyone to freeze up were we stood in the middle of this grand entrance room. There was a girl standing in what looked like a kiosk or stand with a silver and blue orb hovering above her.


    The girl was beautiful, of a level comparable with Erica even and that woman had made it into my top ten of beauties. She had long golden hair, bright and clear green eyes, fair skin, and she was wearing an elaborate blue dress that seemed to compliment everything about her. And she was also standing there smiling at us all with a smile I recognized as a gifted merchant¡¯s smile, it was as if she was treating us as if entering the inside of a dungeon like we had was like nothing more than stepping inside her place of business.


    All of that, the beauty and appearance of this place and the girl standing in the middle of it, her expression and the way she held herself, as well as the knowledge of where we actually were combined together to leave me more than a little dumbstruck and I was sure the others felt the same way.


    ¡°Hello, and welcome to the dungeon of Waynor! Tell me are you all members of the Explorer¡¯s guild, we have been expecting your arrival for a while now. Would you all care for some refreshments or food?¡± (Strange beautiful girl)


    ¡°Yes welcome to my dungeon, please do accept as I would like to speak with you. I would also like another opinion besides Hanna and Loria¡¯s on my food, so if you would not mind taste testing it for me while we speak I would be very grateful.¡± (Floating silver sphere)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­What?..................


    ¡°GUUUUUUYYYYYYSSSSSSS!!!! Not cool, just leaving me in tied up and suspended from a tree like that? Seriously not cool¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Oh, why hello there fair golden haired maiden. What might I ask brings someone as beautiful as you to a¡­¡­¡­. dungeon? ¡­¡­..Um, guys I feel like I missed something really important while I was in the tree¡­..¡± (Feris)


    I felt a tug on the sleeve of my hunting coat''s left arm and looked to my side to see Cecilia giving me a questioning look.


    ¡°So big sis, is this how all dungeon expeditions go? Because if it is I think I like them, I wonder what sorts of things we¡¯ll be having as refreshments¡­¡­.¡± (Cecilia)


    "Um, no. No expeditions don''t normally go like this.........." (Johana)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­...... Well if that floating orb is what I¡¯m thinking it is, at least I know that the dungeon can talk now................. Step one accomplished I guess? Umm, next should be beginning talks, then negotiations............


    I looked back at the beauty and the orb.


    ¡°Um, yes sure, we would love some refreshments? Thank you?¡± (Johana)


    ¡°Your welcome, now please do sit. Hanna if you would do what we talked about please, I¡¯ll start on the food¡­..¡± (Dungeon will)


    ¡°Sure thing Waynor, now if you all would just take a seat¡­¡­¡­.¡± (The girl/Hanna?)


    I just let the girl show us to a table and sat down. This was so surreal, I couldn¡¯t believe it was even happening.


    ¡­¡­¡­.Maybe my idea will actually turn out as I hoped¡­¡­. But still, a dungeon that talks and serves the people who enter it refreshments? And here I thought I knew almost everything there was to know about dungeons¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    yep, that''s the chapter. next chapter we go back to Waynor''s POV and get better in depth "Waynor''s beauty analysis" descriptions on the explorers.... also we find out there impressions on Waynor''s cooking...... oh and they go into the dungeon, and enter into negotiation talks too, that''s kinda important i guess......


    anyway, i''m a bit curious who was your favorite Explorer? and after that who is your favorite character so far?


    obligatory asking of fans to rate, review, follow, favorite, share, and comment


    [th_0gotas.gif]


    Author out.......

 Chapter 10: Delicious food, A dungeons hospitality, And delusions........

    so you all waited, and now it has come..... the promised chapter, delivered soon just as stated........ and fuck was this long.........


    also imma keep the last post up since it has a poll and, since the comment section devolved a bit, can now provide an important lesson for readers on the differences between Kuudere (cool and not showing emotions but having them type) and Dandere (shy and doesn''t communicate much or well type)......... kinda explained them myself a bit there anyway, but my explanations there were kinda halfassed....


    alright in other news i have no idea what my release time is gonna be looking like now with this math course that i''m taking, the amount of homework for it is kinda fucking unreal....... and given my general understanding and relationship with math, imma need to do ALL of that work if i want an A or B in the course......


    also i kinda cant decide between writing the next chapter of this or of L.Z:I</a> .................


    anyway, longass chapter (12 pages and over 7000 words....) and most of it is Johana''s POV since that just seemed to make the most sense...... in it we get to see the results of Waynor''s cooking ability improving, Hanna have a little insane "I''m a dungeon''s pet" breakdown in front of other people, and we find out who Waynor likes the most out of the explorer crew.......


    ENJOY!!!


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Waynor


    <hr />


    They had arrived, there were five of them a mix of humans and what I believe are two elven females. The males gave off a rather striking impression, though the bigger and older one wore simple but heavy  armor that covered most of his entire body making it impossible to make out any of his features besides his mouth and his chin covered by a trim dark brown beard. The other male who arrived in my dungeon slightly behind the others was rather thin, wore what looked like green leather armor, reddish orange hair and dark green eyes, and had a face that was marked by freckles, a sharp nose, and a rather simple but pleasing smile.


    Then there were the females, a group that I found were all quite beautiful, but each in their own way. The human female was taller than Hanna and the other two, wore a mix of plated metal and cloth armor, had resplendent features with smooth alabaster skin, long silver hair, and soft lavender eyes. The way she held herself was elegant and graceful, and though she seemed to only be able to make one expression her eyes conveyed so much emotion and feeling that if I observed them and referenced some of Hanna¡¯s memories I believed I could gain a fair understanding of what she felt even without her having different expressions. That one was my favorite, she was on par with Hanna in strict physical beauty and even surpassed Hanna in grace and beauty in many other ways. The other two females had long pointed ears, which was why I assumed they were elves.


    The taller and more mature looking one was very pretty with shoulder length flaxen hair, leather and cloth armor that complimented her full figure well, and distinguished features. The other elf was far more pale than the first, seemed younger than Hanna, and seemed to give off a more timid and unsure air than the others, she had longish dark hair, wore robes which sort of complimented her slender figure in a way, and had soft features. She was a cute female but I wouldn¡¯t say she was truly beautiful, though that cuteness was a sort of beauty in and of itself.


    I looked closer at the second elf and considered her further.


    ¡­¡­Perhaps when she matures more and her features become more defined she will shed of her cute shell and bloom into true beauty¡­¡­ Yes, that seems very probable¡­¡­ I guess that time taken can add to her allure as well¡­.. Truly the beauty of living things is far more complex than that of walls and furniture¡­. Although all of their outfits are rather subpar, perhaps I can outfit them with something to better compliment them like I did with Hanna? I think I would quite enjoy seeing this new human woman in a gown of silver¡­.. Or perhaps a remnant? Or maybe even a simpler dress design¡­¡­Hmmmm¡­¡­


    I had quickly decided that I liked the silver haired human woman best, or perhaps she was still merely a girl, the way that humans transition from childhood to adulthood and how that changed all the titles and names they went by was rather strange and complex. I still had not truly grasped the art of distinguishing if humans had gone through that transition, though Instinct and Hanna¡¯s memories showed there was a correlation to age. It was only made harder by the fact I was apparently not supposed to ask for a human female¡¯s age when she has already gone through the transition and become a woman, something I would not be able to accurately gage without the answer to the question¡­..


    ¡­¡­¡­..Humans are hard to grasp¡­.. Maybe I¡¯ll just say that all ages under half the human lifespan are girls? Yes, I think that will be fine¡­¡­ Wait, what is a human¡¯s natural lifespan? Maybe that¡¯s something I can ask these people later¡­¡­ Wait, was this question one of the things Hanna wanted to handle when she said ¡°Let me handle negotiating with the explorers, I think I can get them to give all sorts of information and do all sorts of things for us if you let me play a few cards¡­.¡± Hmmm, maybe I should leave that to her? She did say that she had lots of experience with things like that after all¡­¡­ But will these people even negotiate with Hanna? Hmmm¡­.. I guess if they don¡¯t I can get them to test my new level for me after I get their impressions on the cooking, and if they go further most of them can just die and I¡¯ll keep the silver haired girl¡­¡­¡­.. And maybe the younger elf girl too, now that I think of it I kinda want to try watching her beauty blossom after all¡­¡­..


    I looked at the group as Hanna guided them to a table. I really wanted to start asking them all sorts of things and ask for their memories like I did with Hanna, but Hanna had said that it would be best if she handled that sort of thing instead and Instinct had agreed with her.


    ¡­¡­..Hmm, I wonder what I should make for them as refreshments¡­.. Maybe water with hints of fruit juices and sliced fruit accents for the drinks, and a pastry and dessert oriented dishes for the food? Hanna seems to like those the best after all, and they are very fun to make, decorate, and pretty up¡­.. Yes, I think that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do¡­. That way I can ask them all sorts of things about the food and maybe that can be this ¡°Ice-breaker¡± that everyone kept trying to explain¡­¡­. Then I won¡¯t have to think of something obscure and ¡°non-threatening or invasive¡­..¡± like Instinct said, I¡¯ll just have something to talk about already!!! Yes, that¡¯s perfect!!! I¡¯ll just do that, I think that this is going to go really well¡­.. Maybe I can even get to keep the silver haired girl like I did with Hanna without having the others die in the deeper floors¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    <hr />


    Hanna


    <hr />


    This was it, there were actual people in Waynor¡¯s dungeon besides me, people who were clearly professionals judging by their equipment. I looked at the people sitting around me at the table and gave them the friendly business smile I had perfected over my life, it seems like even after all that had happened to me I still retained all the skills I had honed as my father¡¯s daughter. That was good, I would need them if this was ever going to work at all.


    ¡­..Well Hanna, this is going to be just like a business negotiation, a really high stakes business negotiation that these people¡¯s very lives will hinge on and will dictate how Waynor will probably interact with other people entering his dungeon in the future¡­¡­.. No pressure Hanna, just do your best¡­. Oh, and find some way to get them to give up some memories to the orb of pain Waynor entrusted you with, can¡¯t forget about that part¡­¡­ I WILL be getting that house by a lake next to the meadow full of the cute and friendly fennic kits¡­¡­. No matter the cost¡­¡­..


    I patted the memory orb that was in one of my dresses many hidden pockets. Waynor apparently had this sort of obsession with adding hidden stuff to everything he made even dresses, I actually kinda liked that about him though, this way I always had a pocket or ten no matter what I wore or how it looked and everything he cooked had these deeper hidden tastes to it. Oh, and I guess it also made him that much more dangerous as a dungeon by making hidden traps inside other traps and other things like that, honestly Waynor is really nice and sweet most times but he can be utterly terrifying sometimes and the worst part about that is he doesn¡¯t seem to notice how scary he is at those times.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.Wait, get it together Hanna! I need to focus right now, this is my first real important job in Waynor¡¯s dungeon! This is my time to shine and show him and the paperweight how useful I am and how much value I have to Waynor! I can¡¯t afford to start daydreaming now!!!


    I pulled myself out of my daydreaming and looked at the woman who looked to be in charge of this party. She was a half elf, something that I could tell from just from her appearance due to my many experiences training both elves and other half elves as slaves in the past. I gave her a special smile meant to establish some trust as well as getting her to lower her guard and relax some. It didn¡¯t really to work on her, and the only people who seemed to have their guards down were the elf girl who couldn¡¯t be older than a half century and the redheaded guy who couldn¡¯t seem to stop ogling my chest.


    It was time to break the ice, I made I contact with all the members of this party.


    ¡°Well, you all really are in for a treat. Waynor¡¯s cooking is amazing and I say that from personal experience!¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Really?! That¡¯s great I can¡¯t wait! Isn¡¯t this great big sis? Dungeon expeditions are really fun!¡± (Elf)


    The elf seemed very excited by that prospect and practically started clapping her hands where she sat before looking at the half elf woman and seeming to calm down. I quickly identified her as either very na?ve or very new to her job, the half elf however impressed me with her level of calm and control over her party. I was beginning to pick up on how the armored man and the rather beautiful silver haired woman would subtly look to her for ques in this situation.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­..I need to convince the half elf, it seems like the others will fall in line with her decisions¡­¡­ but how to sell Waynor and his dungeon to these people? His rules should be an easy enough sell if they have already agreed to sit down and take a meal here, but how will they react to everything else? There is no real way to sugar coat the fact Waynor will be killing people, but maybe if I can phrase that fact in a different way¡­¡­


    I looked up as Waynor floated down to the table with several trays covered in all sorts of desserts and fruit water. When he placed the trays down and moved to hover over my right shoulder I looked at how the party would react to this spread in front of them, everything looked wonderful and delicious and I already knew for a fact that Waynor¡¯s food tasted far better than even what wealthy nobles could attain with private chefs and expensive ingredients. I couldn¡¯t pick up much from the armored man because of the helm covering most of his face, the redheaded guy looked mildly surprised before he went back to ogling me, the eyes of the silver haired woman who had same expression on this entire time got huge and her mouth opened slightly before her face returned to its neutral expression, the elf looked at the offered food and drinks with wide-eyed awe clear for anyone to see, and lastly the half elf woman seemed to be both surprised and suspicious at what was offered before she looked up at me. The half elf stopped the hand of the elf girl that was reaching for one of the chocolate torts Waynor made without ever breaking eye contact with me.


    ¡°Will you be eating with us as well kind hostess?¡± (Half elf)


    ¡­¡­..She doesn¡¯t trust us at all¡­¡­. She probably wants to see if I¡¯ll eat the food as a sort of poison check measure¡­¡­ Waynor it might be a bit of an uphill negotiation if the half elf doesn¡¯t want to talk with or extend basic trust to us¡­.. But that won¡¯t stop me, I once sold a man¡¯s own daughter back to him as a used but retrained puppy/sex slave and had him thank me for it even when he suspected us of being the ones who kidnapped her¡­¡­ I won¡¯t let a little thing like poor trust at the start cause me to lose out in negotiations¡­¡­¡­


    I looked to my side and at the silver and blue sphere that was Waynor¡¯s consciousness and will.


    ¡°May I Waynor?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Yes, feel free to have some as well Hanna. Please tell me your impressions on the new cinnamon and vanilla twist that I made later on¡­¡­¡± (Waynor)


    ¡­...Well, this will help me to establish some basic trust with them AND will be rather delicious¡­. Yaaaay, Hanna gets treats!!!! ¡­¡­¡­¡­.Shit, I¡¯m still thinking like that¡­. I thought I had that damn pet conditioning thing the paperweight started under better control than this¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    <hr />


    Johana


    <hr />


    Nothing was going like I thought. The dungeon I had set out to find had a will that could not only talk but was actually playing host with us, there was a rather beautiful girl that I wasn¡¯t ashamed to admit I would¡¯ve loved to bed who also seemed to just happen to be waiting in the dungeon for our arrival, and the entire entrance room of the dungeon seemed to be done as a rather grand, beautiful, and elegant reception hall mixed with the highest of upscale inns and restaurants.


    Usually this would be a good thing for someone in my position, but I couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious. Dungeons, ECSPECIALLY dungeons with more intelligent wills, shared a hatred and disgust for people, they viewed us as inferior creations and those that ventured into dungeons like explorers were seen as a sort of pest/energy source. Dungeons found the suffering of people amusing, and they would entice those who enter them with treasures only to lead them into horrible traps. I could understand the hatred dungeons felt for people, we WERE invaders in their perspectives whether we were wanted or not after all, but I also understood that the infinite resources that could be gained from plundering and exploring them.


    What I didn¡¯t understand was what could make a dungeon act like this or why that beautiful girl was here in the first place and seemed to be subservient to a dungeon. This two points were responsible for the large amount of suspicion that surfaced after I got over my initial surprise. My suspicions seemed to be shared by Darek and Erica as well since the kept looking to me for my call on things. The three of us were using subtle body movements and reading to communicate our thoughts and impressions, a team skill that usually only surfaced in parties that have adventured and explored together for a long time, been through countless perils, and trusted each other with their lives.


    It was only us three of the party though of course. Feris didn¡¯t seem willing or able to pry his eyes from the blond haired girl¡¯s chest, though I couldn¡¯t really blame him for that, the girl DID have a rather nice chest and I wouldn¡¯t mind staring at it either. Cecilia just seemed to be excited that the dungeon was going to be serving us refreshments, there wasn¡¯t even a hint of suspicion about this situation in the elf girl and I was really beginning to think she was on the wrong career path.


    The blond dungeon girl smiled at me and I can admit that the smile she gave me did charm me a bit, but it was only for a moment and I didn¡¯t let myself indulge in it. This was neither the time nor place to let myself be lost in a girls smile, there would be plenty of time for that after this mission was done.


    ¡°Well, you all really are in for a treat. Waynor¡¯s cooking is amazing and I say that from personal experience!¡± (Dungeon girl)


    ¡­¡­¡­.This has to be some sort of trap¡­¡­ The food that will be offered is probably poisoned or something. I need to be careful about this, I still have to successfully negotiate a contract with this dungeon so I can¡¯t afford to do anything that could overly displease it¡­¡­


    ¡°Really?! That¡¯s great I can¡¯t wait! Isn¡¯t this great big sis? Dungeon expeditions are really fun!¡± (Cecilia)


    I looked at Cecilia out of the corner of my eye, the girl really didn¡¯t have ANY survival instincts at all. It was a good thing she was cute and could cook a decent meal.¡­ She would be a good wife, a job that would pose far less danger to the girl than this one.


    I looked back at the dungeon girl, she really was acting like a respectable and high tier merchant but she also had the grace and mannerisms of someone from nobility. I was getting the feeling she wanted something from us or perhaps wanted us to buy something from her, at least that was the air she had about her. I made sure to maintain eye contact with the girl and watch for any signs of trouble for us in them.


    The silver and blue sphere that was the dungeon will come down and it had many trays filled with all sorts of great looking desserts and drinks, the dungeon will placed the trays on the table and went to hover over the girls shoulders. I was shocked at the level of surprise and desire that Erica¡¯s body language displayed, but I was even more shocked when I sensed movement reaching towards the table from my right. I reached out and grabbed Cecilia¡¯s arm before she could reach what was on one of the trays, honestly the girl really didn¡¯t think about this situation at all.


    Well it¡¯s not perfect, but maybe I can use this girl as a check for any traps or poison in the food¡­. I can probably even spin it off as a sort polite offer¡­¡­..


    I used a polite and neutral tone and spoke as I maintained my observation of the suspicious blonde girl.


    ¡°Will you be eating with us as well kind hostess?¡± (Johana)


    She looked over to the dungeon will.


    ¡°May I, Waynor?¡± (Dungeon girl)


    ¡­¡­¡­Waynor? She has called the dungeon will that a few times now¡­¡­ Could it be that this girl was able to give the dungeon will itself a name!?!?!?! ¡­..No, that would mean that she was some sort of great sorceress or mage¡­.. I don¡¯t feel much mana coming off her, she likely couldn¡¯t manage much more than a few spells with that little mana in her¡­.. Then again if she was powerful enough to name a dungeon core and will then she could probably easily hide her real mana pool from my senses¡­¡­¡­ Hmmm, I¡¯ll just have to proceed more carefully and ask a few more probing questions¡­¡­ A named dungeon will and a mysterious girl, this was not what I thought I would ever be dealing with on the first floor of a dungeon¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¡°Yes, feel free to have some as well Hanna. Please tell me your impressions on the new cinnamon and vanilla twist that I made later on¡­¡­¡± (Waynor)


    The girl gave the dungeon will a smile that made me think of her as a maiden being given a present by her first love. When she turned back she reached out and took a drink that had what looked like apple slices on the rim of the elaborate glass and a small plate that had a mix of small cakes, rolls, and cookies.


    When she ate three of the desserts and had taken a multiple delicate sips from her sculpted drinks glass lowering the amount fluid inside each time and nothing had happened to her that I could perceive I released my hold on Cecilia¡¯s arm.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.Perhaps the food really isn¡¯t trapped? Maybe there is something the dungeon needs or wants from us and this is its way of bribing us? I don¡¯t know¡­. This is all so strange, maybe I can get some answers if I mask my questions as polite conversation over a meal¡­¡­.


    I glanced over at Erica and Darek who had been watching for my call, I gave them a subtle nod and was again shocked when I saw Erica¡¯s eyes light up and the woman immediately reached for a plate with many different types of desserts on it. When she placed one of the cakes into her mouth and chewed, Erica made a sound that I had never heard from her before and was almost like a moan of pleasure all while a slight smile formed on her face momentarily breaking her neutral expression. Darek just picked one of the glasses with the fruit on it and took a measured sip before smiling and taking another. Even Feris grabbed a plate and a drink, and I thought he wasn¡¯t even paying attention to anything besides the dungeon girl¡¯s chest.


    ¡­¡­¡­..Could it be that good tasting? Even Erica who is so picky about desserts and such liked it so much she smiled for a while¡­¡­¡­¡­ Darek seems to like the drink as well¡­¡­¡­


    As I reached for a plate and drink myself I heard Cecilia gasp next to e and stopped to look at her. The girl had paused while holding a fork in her mouth which I assume once held a piece of the chocolate truffle cake on the plate in front of her, there were tears coming from her eyes and she was trembling. I was prepared to help her vomit out whatever poison was in the food she ate and was about to tell the others to do the same when I heard it.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.Sublime¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..I-I-I¡­¡­¡­..I can¡¯t live without that taste anymore¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to¡­¡­¡­¡­. Big sis, I think I found out why people go missing so often on dungeon expeditions¡­¡­.. They just couldn¡¯t bare leaving and going without the cakes for the rest of their lives¡­¡­¡­..¡± (Cecilia)


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I just looked at the dazed elf girl who was mumbling nonsense to herself.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­Well I guess it¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t make a scene out of trying to get her to remove the poison from her body by throwing up the food¡­¡­¡­.. That might have seriously offended the dungeon beyond anything I could do or offer as an apology, not the way I want to enter into negotiation talks with it¡­¡­..


    I looked away from Cecilia and went back to reaching for my own plate and drink when I noticed it. The others were in states that couldn¡¯t be called anything but bliss and contentment. Feris had taken his eyes off the dungeon girl¡¯s chest and was looking at the food like it was a blessed gift from the gods delivered especially to him. Darek had an almost lazily content smile on his face and an empty plate and a glass in front of him, he was reaching for another plate even as I watched. Most shocking of them all was Erica who had wet almost glazed over eyes and trembling hands holding her fork and plate as she ate.


    ¡°Good. It¡¯s all so good. The best I¡¯ve ever had. And there is so much¡­¡­¡­¡± (Erica)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.My gods that look is so sexy on her¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Wait no¡­¡­ But then again maybe if I offered to feed her more of these desserts by hand while she is like this¡­¡­¡­¡­. No, I can¡¯t¡­.. The mission, I have to focus on the mission!


    I pulled myself away from watching Erica who seemed to be in some sort of trance brought about by the taste of the food. As I took a plate and drink for myself with some trepidation I looked back at the dungeon girl, she was eating calmly and with the practiced grace and delicacy that only nobles use.


    ¡­¡­¡­..How can she be so calm like this if my entire party has been reduced to this? Could it be that the food IS drugged and she has built up or has some sort of immunity? But at this point I have to try it out of politeness while the dungeon will is watching, if I don¡¯t it might affect the negotiations later on¡­¡­ I¡¯ve been trapped, huh? It would almost just be easier to just try conquering this dungeon than this negotiating thing I have to do, but by trying that I would just be stuck as guild master AND I would piss off the higher ups¡­.. Well I guess I¡¯ll just have to trust in my anti-poisoning enchantment¡­¡­¡­.


    I used the fork on the plate to cut off and bring a small piece of blue frosted cake to my mouth. As I closed my mouth and began to taste the food I came to a sudden realization about my fellow party members.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­It isn¡¯t drugged or poisoned¡­¡­.. It¡¯s just fucking INCREDIBLE!!!!!!! What the hell is with this!?!? This is of the same caliber of the wedding cake from king Almont¡¯s wedding ceremony 30 years ago when that legendary chef was still alive!!! How can a simple mini cake be this good!?!?! By the gods I want more, but no¡­¡­ No, I should focus on the mission at hand and getting demoted¡­¡­. Maybe just one more bite though¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    I took another bite of the cake, then another, and another¡­.. When two of the small cakes on my plate had mysteriously disappeared by some sort of strange dungeon phenomenon I looked back up at the dungeon girl prepared to begin asking a few questions.


    ¡°So, did I hear right? Your name was Hanna?¡± (Johana)


    The girl who had stopped eating and was dapping at her lips with one of the many elaborately folded napkins arranged artistically on the trays looked up at me and smiled again. She really was quite nice to look at, a bit too suspicious for my liking but if we had met anywhere besides the inside of a dungeon I would¡¯ve probably tried my hand at seducing her into my bed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, my name is Hanna. Might I ask the name of you and your companions here in return?¡± (Hanna)


    I introduced myself and my party who were still stuck in their respective food trances, some of whom were going for their second plates and in the case of Feris his forth.


    ¡°I¡¯m Johana the guild master of the Metia branch of the explorer¡¯s guild. Over here are Erica, Darek, and Feris and to my right is Cecilia. We are the explorers sent here to investigate the reports of a talking dungeon and possibly negotiate an agreement with it if at all possible¡­.. Tell me, you have called this dungeon will ¡®Waynor¡¯ on multiple occasions is that perhaps its name? The name you gave it?¡± (Johana)


    I paused as the girls smile twitched into something far more predatory for an instant before returning to its kind and hospitably friendly look.


    ¡­¡­¡­.I may have made a mistake being so direct¡­¡­. What was it, the fact that I¡¯m a guild master, my asking to negotiate, or implying that she might have the power to name a dungeon? Or maybe it was some combination of those things? What was the thing that caused her to make that expression for a moment? If I somehow put us at a disadvantage in negotiation talks¡­¡­ but no, I shouldn¡¯t have said anything that could do that besides stating that I was here for negotiations which would imply I needed something, but there was no way around that really it¡¯s not like a dungeon would just begin negotiations on its own without any prompting¡­¡­. Just doing that shouldn¡¯t be enough to cause an expression like that, it was like she was a fennic that had just found a blind and fat rabbit that didn¡¯t know what was going to happen to it¡­¡­.


    ¡°Oh, yes his name is Waynor, but I didn¡¯t name him he had that name long before I was here. How long ago was that again Waynor?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Hmm¡­.. A very long time ago. I think around ten million years ago? No, that couldn¡¯t be right, it was probably more around 5 million years ago when I got that name, though since it took so long for me to name myself and I didn¡¯t really have a concept of time back then I can¡¯t really be sure¡­¡­.¡± (Waynor)


    The girl, Hanna, just turned back at me and smiled while I tried my best to hide my shock.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..What the hell?!?!?! This dungeon is THAT old?!?!? And it named ITSELF!!!!!! That shouldn¡¯t be possible, dungeons can¡¯t name themselves!!! Even rank 10 dungeons don¡¯t have that level of power!!!!!


    I nodded my head at that and secretly rolled a pair of dungeon dice in the palm of my hand under the table, with a quick peek I saw that the dungeon was rank 1. I felt myself grow even more confused and even slightly frightened at that, either they were lying, this dungeon could fake its real rank somehow, or there was some other option I couldn¡¯t even think of that was at play. Any of those things being true would be bad, but at least if they were lying my party wouldn¡¯t be in the same level of danger the other two options implied.


    The dungeon will, Waynor, moved over in front of Erica and began to speak.


    ¡°Did you like what I made? Tell me were these desserts to your taste or would you have preferred a different sort of meal besides dessert? On a scale of 1 to 10 what would you say the taste of everything was as a collective meal? What would you say was your favorite? Would you be willing to wear something I made for you for a while?¡± (Waynor)


    Erica was just nodding at it wide eyed.


    ¡°Yes. Desserts are my favorite. 9.35. The soft core brownie cake with sour cream filling and the pink vanilla icing. And yes, but only if you make me another of the brownie cakes¡­¡­¡± (Erica)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Erica¡­.. Why are you looking at the dungeon will like that? Don¡¯t tell me you were conquered so easily by the desserts? That couldn¡¯t be it right? It¡¯s just my imagination right?


    ¡°Would you mind terribly staying here forever like Hanna? I like you best after all.¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­..Do I get to have desserts like this every day if I do?¡± (Erica)


    ¡°Hanna does almost every day, so I don¡¯t see why you couldn¡¯t¡­¡­¡± (Waynor)


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing my precious Erica, the woman who I was going to get drunk with and hopefully get to play around with after this mission was over, was now being stolen away by a dungeon with admittedly amazing food.


    ¡°Erica, we have a job remember? Try to stay focused on that could you?¡± (Johana)


    Erica looked at me, then back at the dungeon will, then at her half empty plate, then back at me with watery eyes before looking down in apparent depression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I most decline¡­¡­¡± (Erica)


    I looked back at Hanna to resume our talks when I heard something that was whispered quietly with my half elven-improved hearing.


    ¡°¡­.But after this I will be sure to visit a lot¡­. I¡¯ll wear whatever you want then for some more of your desserts¡­¡­ anything you want really¡­¡­¡± (Erica)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­..Note to self: the way to Erica¡¯s heart is paved with tasty pastries¡­¡­¡­. Maybe I don¡¯t need to get her drunk to play with her if I can find a good baker back home¡­¡­¡­. A thought I will need to seriously consider later, but for now back to the mission¡­¡­..


    I watched as the silver sphere returned to its position near Hanna and noticed the girl had been pinching herself with a slightly unhinged expression for a while now. It seemed to me like she was a maiden who had just watched her first love cheat on her in the middle of their own date and was trying to convince herself that ¡°it wasn¡¯t like that¡­. They were just talking¡­.. I don¡¯t mind¡­¡­ I don¡¯t mind at all¡­..¡±. I had seen that sort of expression more than a few times, but this was the first time I had seen it caused by a dungeon.


    ¡­¡­¡­I wonder what the story is between these two anyway? What is Hanna to this dungeon, and what does Hanna WANT to be to this dungeon?


    I coughed slightly to get the twos attention back on me and not on my party who except for Erica who seemed to be planning how much of the spread she could pack up and take with her were all still in the food trance. I was honestly surprised that Feris could eat so much, there were seven empty plates in front of him and he was working hard on making an eighth. Then there were also the distracting moans coming from Cecilia as she savored every single bite she took like it was a divine gift¡­¡­


    This was not exactly the impression I wanted the guild to be making, and I had to bring the conversation back to what was important: gathering information on these two and entering negotiations. I decided to try a simple question to try and regain control of this meal-time conversation.


    ¡°So Hanna, what are you doing in a dungeon? Are you perhaps one of Waynor¡¯s creations?¡± (Johana)


    The girl laughed at that.


    ¡°Oh no, no I¡¯m very much a human. And I¡¯m here because I now live here in the dungeon, I¡¯m Waynor¡¯s pet.¡± (Hanna)


    The girls face froze for a moment and her eyes began to shake ever so slightly.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­I mean¡­.. I¡¯m Waynor¡¯s friend¡­¡­.. Yeah, friend, that¡¯s what I said. That¡¯s what I am, a friend, right Waynor?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Yes Hanna, you are my friend.¡± (Waynor)


    The girl smiled, and then made an uncertain expression for a moment.


    ¡°But you still think I¡¯m kinda like a pet too, don¡¯t you?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Well from what I could find from your memories, you do seem to be a lot like the pets you used to train and I do treat you very similar to how you treated them by feeding, rewarding, praising, and clothing you, Hanna. So I guess that would make you my pet as well as my friend right?¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­...Hehehe¡­¡­. I AM kinda a pet, huh?¡­¡­. hehehehehahahahahhahHAHAHAHAHA yeah, Hanna¡¯s a good girl right? Hanna always tries to be a good girl!¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Yes, you Hanna is a good girl. Good Hanna.¡± (Waynor)


    I just looked at them in horror, this girl went from slightly suspicious but clearly competent and sane to¡­. THAT in only a few seconds. And it seemed like I was the only one from my party to notice, everyone else was so busy with the food that Waynor had made they didn¡¯t even seem to notice that our hostess had just declared herself a dungeon¡¯s pet and started pulling at her hair and laughing madly while looking up at the ceiling.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­By the gods¡­¡­. What HAPPENED to this girl?


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive Hanna, she does stuff like this sometimes. Normally it only lasts a minute or so though¡­. Oh, hey do you mind telling me all about yourself and elves while we wait? What I know from Hanna¡¯s memoires is more about teaching them how to listen to her, to bark, sit, lay down, and lick on command, to mate in various different ways, and moving with a certain amount of grace at all times. These sort of things aren¡¯t very enlightening about their race as a whole, do you mind filling in the gaps of my knowledge some?¡± (Waynor)


    I just looked at the silver sphere and then back at the girl who seemed to be coming back to herself seeing as how she was muttering things softly to herself with a vacant expression now instead of laughing like someone who was mad.


    ¡°¡­.Not a pet. I just gave Waynor my life and soul, that makes me more like a servant or assistant right? Though I guess if Waynor really wanted I could be a pet¡­¡­. NO! Waynor is just a shiny rock, gotta remember that¡­¡­ a shiny, caring, nice, rock that can cook like a god¡­¡­. No, Bad Hanna! No thinking like that remember!?!? ¡­¡­¡­Oh gods I¡¯m doing it again¡­¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­..Um, you mean so that something like THAT can happen to me? No thank you¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    ¡°Um, I think I¡¯ll just keep that type of info to myself if that¡¯s alright¡­.¡± (Johana)


    ¡°Oh, ok then¡­. I¡¯ll leave the rest to Hanna now, remember to follow the rules and I¡¯ll see you all again when and if you leave. Goodbye, I hope to see you again.... Oh and if you do end up dying please try to do it in an elegant and amusing way for me, ok?¡± (Waynor)


    I watched as the sphere just seemed to shimmer out of existence and when it was completely gone Hanna seemed to regain herself to the girl with a merchants smile like she was before.


    ¡°Sorry about that, you said your name was Johana right? Well if you want to negotiate with this dungeon, you may do that through me as I will be acting as Waynor¡¯s representative. That said, why don¡¯t I give you a tour and explain the rules for the dungeon first. Ah, it seems your companions have finished the meal and are ready to move on as well, good. If you all would direct your attention to thins paper¡­¡­..¡± (Hanna)


    I looked around to see that my party did in fact seem to regain their focus and move their attention away from the food. Then I glanced down at the paper that Hanna pulled out of her dress somewhere, it said.


    Dungeon rules:


    1.      No Soulmancers are allowed beyond the entrance floor.


    2.      Any who go passed the designated area¡¯s will be actively hunted down and killed by the dungeon itself and all at the dungeons disposal.


    3.      Any that attempt to harm Hanna or other non-combat dungeon residents on the entrance or resting floors will be killed in the same way designated by rule 2.


    4.      Please rate all food prepared by the dungeon on a scale of 1 to 10 with ten being the highest and representing the meal being of a divine and god crafted quality.


    5.      Please see Hanna or the appropriate Dungeon resident about the dungeon usage charge.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­What? What the hell..............


    I just looked down at the list of rules on the table and tried to fight the urge to pinch myself to wake up from this weird dream I was having. Dungeon''s didn''t make rules for their invaders to follow, that would be an insane thing to do for those who would be happy to conquer and plunder them.


    ¡°These are the current rules in the dungeon, I do suggest that you follow them as otherwise you¡¯ll likely be ported into a maze for Ralt and the other mites to hunt you down and kill you until we all come up with a better punitive measure. I doubt you¡¯d like dealing with Ralt and the maze that much, though I think Ralt might¡­. Anyway these rules are subject to change, and will probably be different in a few days or so when we come up with a better and more permanent rule set. For now you all are only allowed within the first level of the dungeon, however since you all are here for negotiations and it would be in poor taste to negotiate after one or more of your companions died in Waynor¡¯s dungeon I can offer to guide you through the first level just this once. So would you be interested in that at all?¡± (Hanna)


    I just looked at the girl, it was hard to believe with how she was acting now that just a little while ago she was muttering to herself and laughing at the ceiling like a madwoman. I actually doubted what I saw myself, and was truly beginning to wonder if the food was in fact poisoned and that whole episode of hers was just a hallucination.


    ¡°Yes I think we would like a guide¡­¡­..¡± (Johana)


    ¡°You may guide me anywhere you wish my fair golden haired lady, lead me on the journey to your heart.¡± (Feris)


    ¡°Well, this is quite an interesting dungeon. It gives a great meal and then has someone offer to guide us through its first level, if all dungeons were like this maybe the missus wouldn¡¯t have had to retire from exploring when she got pregnant. Maybe I could bring the whole family here in a few years¡­¡­¡± (Darek)


    ¡°This is my new favorite dungeon. It knows how to make good desserts. I like it¡¯s will to, it seems nice¡­.¡± (Erica)


    ¡°You know, now that I think about it dungeon explorations are kinda fun. No wonder everyone wants to be an explorer and do stuff like this, I can even understand how they go missing by staying behind for the food¡­¡­. Um, hey big sis? Do you think that I could just stay behind in the dungeon for a week or two? Three tops...... I promise I¡¯ll be back after that¡­¡­..¡± (Cecila)


    I just looked at my party members who were talking amongst themselves in a carefree manner that was more suited for a tavern or the guild hall than a dungeon.


    They couldn¡¯t have been so out of it that they missed something like Hanna having a break down, and she doesn¡¯t seem like the type to have one¡­¡­ Maybe it was all just stress messing with my head, I should just relax some¡­.. Everything seems to be going ok, and Waynor and Hanna seem open to negotiation, Hanna even offered to be our party¡¯s guide. This has been going well, I should just try and forget my little delusion¡­..


    I let myself smile a bit as I stood up from the table.


    ¡°Alright then we can begin negotiating after our tour through the first level, Hanna if you would be so kind as to lead the way?¡± (Johana)


    The girl smiled at me as she gracefully stood up and took a crystalline orb out of her dress somewhere.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯d be glad to, but just because I¡¯m guiding you doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t be attacked or set of traps if you aren¡¯t careful. I¡¯m just showing you the right path that¡¯s all, and before I can could you all please place your bare hands on this orb? I should warn you there is a bit of a sting¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± (Hanna)


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    so yeah that was the chapter........ i''m thinking of switching things up and giving Erica, Cecilia, Feris, Johana POV''s in that order next chapter.... say in the comments if you like that idea.....


    Also Groupie, do change that review you made for L.Z:I after you read some of it''s chapters.... i dislike having a .5 star rating just because i gave myself a perfect 5, i want reviews and ratings to reflect a fan''s actual feelings on the story and not their feelings on my self promotion and rating habits...... just down vote my own review if you don''t like the idea of the author doing that on his own fic...... but really at this point my doing that is a tradition for my stories now......


    as always i''ll be cleaning this up and editing it later....... and not today.....


    do that whole rate, review, follow, favorite, comment and share thing like usual and then do the same for all my fictions after reading them..... do it...... i''ll be waiting..... and stalking the fiction pages for new stuff on my phone and tablet...... Author is always watching........      ''__''           Always......


    anyway enough creepiness for now..... off to watch that second Magi series.....


    [th_085_.gif] [th_015_orz-v2.gif]


    Author out.......

 the future for D.I.

    ............ so yeah the next chapter is coming soon..... kinda.... maybe.... but it WILL be D.I. instead of L.Z:I</a> so you may rejoice!!!


    annnnnnddddd now you may despair as my writing time keeps running into obsticales.... namely my math course and coming saterday a new puppy for the family...... one that will need to be trained and i will have to try and convince to love me more than my parents...... yeah...... so delays be real IRL....


    anyway imma try making tomorrow a super writing day... maybe... if i can.... let''s aim for 3 chapters (realistically i''ll probably only manage two.....).........


    enough about that though, it''s time to talk about the wonderful world of the future and what i''m currantly planing to do with D.I.....


    caution there may be spoilers ahead but nothing is currently set in stone for any of this..... (kinda a duh thing....)


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    so first let me start with the dungeon lord, i.e: Waynor''s future body..... yeah that wont be coming for a while.... mid ark 2 at the earliest... "but why Author? Waynor can''t have sexy time without a body!!!!" .......Um well, i guess he could in a way as a core, but that''s not the point here...... the point is that i feel that the whole dungeon lord thing should happen further on in the story for things to make sense with what i''m trying to do......


    next we have all the creations that will come along in the future.......... *sigh* there are a fuckton...... no i''m not gonna list them, yes they might be in the menu.... humanoids (pixies, taurs, human level intelligent creatures, and other "kinda sorta" types don''t count in this projection.....) aren''t gonna be for a while though, some time in ark 2........


    traps...... well there will be more traps.... what else can i say? oh, i know! the traps are gonna get more complicated, hidden, and deadlier because "duh" this is a dungeon story........ i''m also going to be adding puzzles and riddles and stuff, those will be labeled under traps for author convenience...... ah what fun it will be to write about adventurer types getting stuck somewhere in the dungeon because they cant figure out the riddle or puzzle that unlocks the way out........ Muhahahahahaha.........


    characters..... there are gonna be a LOT!!!! yes there WILL be a harem, and yes there will be all sorts of character types....... and let me say this now: "While there will be no real NTR in this story (does taming random monster mobs count as NTRing a dungeon? huh......), characters WILL die. this story has a tragedy tag for a few reasons, and one of which is because i reserve the right to kill off whoever and whatever character i like if i think it''ll further the story. will those deaths be permanent? maybe.... i don''t really DO plot armor, Waynor isn''t always gonna come out on top, that would mean there is no real conflict or threat in the story......... but i have a rule for MC''s "Don''t kill the MC off for good unles 1: the story has just ended, 2: your about to make a transition to a new MC that was foreshadowed to prior, or 3: it''s just that sort of story and there are multiple MC''s that can continue the story............."


    grammer and edits..... so let me say first: "the ellipses will stay on RR..... no changing that, period...." that said when/if i make my stories into an e-book they will be less, um........ long? i''ll just stick with the classical three dots like in *shivers* "normal grammar"........ Ugh, that hurt to even think let alone type........... on to edits and the cleaning i''ll be doing here on RR.... there wont be much.... basically i''m aiming for decent and readable with a flow that helps with reader immersion, but i KNOW that my chapters are far from perfect. i doubt that even if i tried editing seriously i could bring my posts up to a profession publication level of grammar and syntax. i''m just not THAT good, plus i WROTE the stuff so of course i''ll miss stuff since my brain will just fill in the story as i know it and not what i wrote down....... plus i wouldn''t try doing that anyway since one of the main selling points of the e-book (if it ever comes out, Sally damn it takes a lot of money to make a book.... even just a digital one....) will be that it was edited by a person not me, hopefully a professional.......


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    my schedule....... Random releases........ RANDOM!!! i do absolutely horribly under the pressure of a deadline and i have motivation and inspiration that fades in and out depending on the day......I''ll write when i can and feel like it, and have the 4-8 hours free it''ll take to make a chapter....... i can promise nothing more than that and the fact i will try my absolute best to finish all my stories regardless of any hate, hiatuses, or spotty internet connections...... it just might take a while....... but hey, you made it this far, just strap in and hang on for a bit of a long ride (over 100 chapters!!!!!!!! WOO!!!!!)


    the fan base........ it must grow.... GROW!!!!!!!! seriously though, as of right now the thing i''m getting out of this whole writing thing is the joy of reading comments (the longer and cleverer the better.... you guys KNOW i love me some fan theories.....) and the feeling of sharing my stories..... hell even the money from my patrons is only leading to my creation of an e-book to FURTHER spread my tales..... and sometimes emergencies like: "oh fuck i have no gas money and i''m running on fumes!!!" or ".......did my computer just get a virus? .......fucking useless mcafee protection...... *grumble grumble*"


    ....... so yeah, i read every comment, review, and wait patiently (..... yeah.... totally patiently..... not anxious at all..... WHY DON''T THE NUMBERS GROW NOW!!!!...... Patience..... it''s my gift.....) for my stories'' ratings, followers, favorites, and views to go up...... the more i see the more i want to create more to give you guys...... so let''s see some more of that stuff!!! let''s grow the fiction together and share it with all!!! let''s aim for D.I. to secure itself a place in the top 50 fictions and have a followers in the thousands!!!!! then let''s move on to my other fics!!!! and then all of RR will eventually be mine!!! MUHAHAHAHahahahahahaha................. Er....... i mean i''ll be really happy then and will give lots of chapters due to my overflowing motivation and joy..... yeah.... that''s what i meant....... really...........


    and lastly, antagonists...... i got a shitton of ideas that you guys will start to see around ark 2 and on...... a fanatical anti-dungeon religious group, Soulmancers (duh..... there were so many flags for them), some explorers and "heroes", other dungeons, and eventually Waynor''s old demon mom........ just to name just a few....


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    so thats about it........ expect an update with the chapter sooner than later, i plan to finish up this mini ark in D.I. before i go back to writing L.Z:I (REALLY excited to get back to that story.... i have SO MUCH kicking around in my head that i want to do with it..... but i shall cater to the story with the larger fan-base.... for now......)


    oh and do leave a comment with any opinions on what i talked about or possible plot ideas you may have, i''m working with only about 20ish chapters worth of beginning content right now and an idea of an ending..... inspiration and ideas are welcomed and encouraged.... btw i''m thinking the 2nd level will be a forest type, and the 3rd will be temple/ruins sooo...........


    [th_085_.gif] [th_096_K.gif]


    Author Out

 Chapter 11: Entering the gardens of bliss

    so now it''s done......... and i need sleep horribly...... For the love of Sally someone read through this and comment quickly so i can satisfy my OCD and just go to sleep now........


    more comes later i guess, might take a while though.............


    <del>no i didn''t edit this at all, i''ll clean it up in the morning...... probably..... maybe..... most likely...... yeah.............</del>


    so i edited this up some so that it''s nice and readibles now.....


    Enjoy!!!


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Instinct


    <hr />


    When Waynor returned I felt immense relief, all while he was with the explorers I was worried that they would somehow harm him. I knew rationally that there was no real way to harm Waynor when he was just a disembodied will like this, but the worry was still there. If something happened to Waynor, I¡­¡­


    But nothing did, so there¡¯s no reason to think about something like that¡­..


    ¡°So, were the explorers as interesting as you hoped they would be?¡± (Instinct)


    I felt Waynor open up the connection between us and send me all his feelings on the invaders. He was already thinking of them as guests of a sort, but Waynor thought of ¡°guests¡± in a rather twisted way. For Waynor if his guests died in his dungeon then that was fine and could even prove to be amusing and bring him joy depending on how it happens, and Waynor didn¡¯t seem to see this part of his concept of ¡°guests¡± as abnormal in the least. It was another facet of Waynor that was contradictory and more than just a little scary, but I have come to expect such views and concepts from him over the years.


    I think that everything went well, instinct¡­¡­ I quite like the woman called Erica, she¡¯s very beautiful, do you think that Hanna could get her to stay here forever as a part of the negotiations? (Waynor)


    I tried to suppress the feelings of jealousy that surfaced the moment Waynor brought up the human woman. Jealousy wasn¡¯t an emotion that Waynor really understood anyway no normal dungeon really did, to them there was no need for envy when they could just create whatever they wanted. I only really understood the feeling due to my rather unique circumstances and by reliving the memories of countless humans.


    ¡­..That¡¯s good, but I don¡¯t think that Hanna will be able to convince these people to have ¡­..um, Erica¡­.. stay with us.


    I doubted that the girl would ever even think of something like that, something I was very happy about. I would rather Waynor not pick up another human pet, ESPECIALLY not another female one that he found beautiful. Hanna was already more than enough and I still hadn¡¯t quite convinced her that she was nothing more than a pet yet, adding another human to things would just prolong that process¡­.


    Oh, that¡¯s a shame¡­.. Although Hanna seems to have gotten them to offer up some of their memories, that¡¯s rather nice¡­¡­. I think I¡¯ll start looking through those now¡­. (Waynor)


    I felt Waynor break off the connection while I watched the thin boy keep touching the orb Waynor made for smiles from Hanna. I¡¯ll give the girl credit though, she does know how to manipulate others and she knows how to make a sale even when what¡¯s being offered is horrible.


    It was rather fun watching the humans jolt and make shocked or pained noises when they touch the orb, but I still didn¡¯t quite like the stance that Waynor decided to take with those that enter his dungeon. I felt we should prioritize his core¡¯s safety and security over attracting and interacting with more of the seven races, although I could see the appeal. As I watched the explorers move on with Hanna leading them, I thought about what lead me to accepting this.


    Waynor had shared his thoughts and feelings on the subject of how to deal with invaders many times, he craved the knowledge, opportunities, power, and entertainment that they could bring to him. Soon enough I also began to crave those things, both for him to have and to a lesser degree for myself as well. Eventually the idea of getting the races to come to the dungeon and just keeping them from getting to Waynor and my core room became rooted in my mind.


    And now that very idea is beginning to come to fruition¡­¡­. Maybe if I¡¯m lucky one of them will even kill that damned muse pervert for me¡­¡­¡­. Although¡­¡­.


    <hr />


    Hanna


    <hr />


    It was actually kinda fun watching these skilled and experienced explorers flinch, and in Feris and Cecilia¡¯s cases scream a bit, from touching the orb of pain. It reminded me some of my past when I would take time to train slaves every day, those were simpler and better times.


    ...........if Waynor was there in those times everything would have been perfect¡­ well if he was human, why did I ever think it would¡¯ve been fine if a dungeon core was in my old life? ¡­¡­..Wait why would I want Waynor to be there at all in any form? Could I have really fallen for¡­¡­¡­.. Nope, couldn¡¯t be¡­. Waynor¡¯s a rock and since I¡¯m a human girl I¡¯ll fall in love with a nice human guy¡­¡­ if not human than maybe an elf or an arcane, but not a rock¡­.. Even if that rock is shiny¡­.. And nice¡­. And so smooth to the touch¡­¡­


    I began to pick up my slow pace as I tried to banish the twisted and strange thoughts that had been growing inside me for the last month or so. I was leading the explorers through Waynor¡¯s immaculate, beautiful, well-lit and well-furnished entrance floor, it was as splendid as always and I was taking my time until now so that these people could take it all in. The explorer¡¯s were looking at everything and kept looking to me to see if it was ok to go somewhere or touch something.


    ¡°Miss Hanna, could I go over and look at that?¡± (Cecilia)


    I slowed to a stop and looked over at the young elf girl, she was pointing at an elaborate chandelier of different colored crystals that hung over six long dining tables that all spanned well over fifty feet of space. It was the room Waynor made for hosting large and elaborate meals, and it was made to a quality that would awe even the highest of nobility a fact I could confirm as a noble myself.


    ¡­¡­¡­..Well, maybe former noble is a more accurate description now¡­¡­¡­. But regardless I have seen countless luxury dining rooms in the past including the main one inside the royal palace and THIS is the one that is the most amazing¡­¡­ there really isn¡¯t even much of a comparison between them and this one¡­¡­..


    ¡°Feel free to do so, as I have said before there are no traps or any other such dangers on this floor¡­.¡± (Hanna)


    The girl smiled and began running towards the room without hesitation, as she went the half elf woman Johana sighed and began to follow her while calling for her to slow down and be careful. I watched as the two looked around the room, one in obvious wonder and the other in reluctant and distrusting amazement.


    ¡°This place is rather different from normal dungeons¡­.. Miss Hanna, you said while we were walking before that you lived in this dungeon right? Could you tell me why it¡¯s like this and why the dungeon seems so friendly towards us?¡± (Darek)


    I looked back at the armored man doing my best to ignore the fool Feris who seemed to be practically drooling while he stared at me, I was also ignoring the silver haired Erica who I was totally not feeling envious of at the moment for having Waynor¡¯s attention. Darek was a large man with a large shield and a large axe, he wore so much plated metal that I wondered how he could move at all let alone with that level of quiet and speed he maintained in his gait.


    ¡°Well I honestly don¡¯t know all that much about what Waynor¡¯s inner thoughts or anything like that, but I do know that he is a really nice guy-¡­.. Er¡­. I mean dungeon normally so how he acted wasn¡¯t all that surprising or out of the norm for him. I also know for sure that Waynor was really excited to meet more humans besides me and my brother, the fact that there was an elf in your party and that you are being led by a half elf probably just made him happier¡­.¡± (Hanna)


    As I watched Johana and Cecilia walk back and rejoin the group, I noticed the momentary shock that registered on the half elf¡¯s face for a moment before she put back on her mask of neutral politeness. I was almost positive that she was the only one to notice my little¡­. Episode¡­. earlier, and by how she has been acting she seems to have either disregarded or discredited her own memory of that time. That was good since while I might not want to admit it, I know that my mental state isn¡¯t in its most¡­. stable state¡­. and as such it would probably be for the best to keep that fact to myself.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.They didn¡¯t think I would reveal all that to them so freely, it was written all over her face¡­¡­ Well, this works out well doesn¡¯t it? I gain more trust and favor from them that I can use later at the negotiation table and all it really cost was some information that doesn¡¯t really matter¡­¡­ there really isn¡¯t anything that I told them besides Waynor is ¡°nice¡± and that I have a brother who is probably here as well, all things that are useless to people that came to negotiate and won¡¯t be going past the tenth floor¡­.. But if they DO try something like that, well¡­¡­. Ralt has been saying he¡¯d like another ¡°honorable battle¡± with the invaders lately¡­¡­¡­.


    I smiled at them all again and began to walk forward again, there were a good 39 rooms on this floor and it would take some time to lead this group through them all. Sure I didn¡¯t strictly HAVE to do that to get to the next floor as there was a straight ten room path to the next floor, but these people asked for a tour so I would give them one.


    Besides, I still have to give Ralt some time to get to the entrance of the gardens¡­¡­ without him to help guide ME we¡¯d all get lost by the third floor¡­.. Huh, maybe I should ask Waynor for some sort of magic map or senses to help me navigate his dungeon on my own¡­¡­ I really should remember that, maybe it can be a part of my reward if the negotiations go well¡­..


    ¡°And this large room upcoming on the right is what we here like to playfully call the invader¡¯s resting room, I know right now it might seem rather bare-bones but it¡¯s improving all the time. Besides the beds are all rather soft and comfortable so¡­¡­..¡± (Hanna)


    <hr />


    I was looking out at the vast seemingly endless field of plants and sunshine, each time I see it I still get the same awed and shocked feeling I did the first time I saw this place. It truly was a paradise, in fact it even outshone what the priests of Hersi described as the gardens of their main temple.


    It was probably then when I first realized that fact, when I realized that I had all but lost all my faith in the gods¡­¡­ If not even the holy followers of the goddess of nature can match Waynor, a dungeon, in something that they were supposedly unsurpassable in like gardening¡­¡­.. Well I guess ever since then I stopped seeing the gods and divines as perfect and absolute beings¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°Wow! This is even better than the sacred forest grove I grew up in! I knew that dungeon expeditions were fun and amazing already, but I didn¡¯t think that they were at THIS level! I KNEW becoming an explorer instead of an acolyte of the order was the right choice¡­..¡± (Cecilia)


    ¡°Very pretty. I¡¯d expect no less from the great dungeon.¡± (Erica)


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­. That¡¯s a lot of flowers¡­¡­.. Hey, um¡­.. Hey guys? Is it just me or are some of the flowers, like, walking around?¡± (Feris)


    ¡°Yep, it looks like those things are monsters of some sort. I was only half considering it before but maybe this really would be the perfect first dungeon for my daughter¡­¡­ then Kara and I could show her some of the ropes without having to wait so long, plus she would absolutely love this place¡­.. Hmmmm¡­¡­¡± (Darek)


    ¡°I¡­¡­.I-I¡­¡­¡­¡­I don¡¯t¡­¡­¡­. What IS this place?¡± (Johana)


    ¡°This is the first level of the dungeon that Waynor calls the blissful gardens, but in all honestly we are all still coming up with an official name for this level of the dungeon. We¡¯ll have to wait for a little while before we move on though, my associate seems to be running a bit late¡­¡­ Shame he can¡¯t just port to places in them dungeon like Loria, that would make things so much easier¡­..¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Your associate?¡± (Johana)


    ¡°Oh, yes I almost forgot to tell you all¡­.. Well, truthfully this level is so huge not even I know how to navigate much more than the first three floors and the tenth floor. That¡¯s why it¡¯s probably best that we wait here for my associate to arrive before we move on, until then I¡¯d be happy to answer a few questions about the dungeon if you have them.¡± (Hanna)


    I watched them as I said this, they all had different reactions to what I said. Cecilia looked like she just wanted to go run and frolic through the floor without a care and I was beginning to see her as a rather dumb puppy, she was cute but had no real sense or survival instincts that I could see at all. Erica seemed to not care but was pleasantly surprised by the floor itself based on the way her eyes sparkled and she would nod as she looked around. Feris gave a thoughtful nod and then went back to trying and failing to discreetly check out my ass in this dress. Darek crossed his arms and held his chin with one of his hands as he seemed to think deeply on something, that man was damn near impossible to read with all that armor on though. Then there was Johana whose eyes widened, narrowed, and then seemed to shift around in an unsure or undecided fashion before she seemed to regain her composure.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Yes, well then, I do have a few questions if you don¡¯t mind-¡­¡­¡± (Johana)


    ¡°Can I go exploring on my own big sis? This place looks so amazing and fun!!!¡± (Cecilia)


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.A dumb puppy with a VERY short attention span¡­¡­.. Maybe not even puppy but some sort of clueless song bird chick? Yes I think that fits Cecilia much better¡­¡­. I wonder if she can even SURVIVE this level on her own, I mean it is fairly easy but¡­¡­.. Well you do need to have a good bit of intelligence and sense to avoid the illusion traps and fend off the wisps and pixies¡­¡­.. CAN she even beat a flower soldier in a one on one fight? ¡­¡­¡­..Um maybe I should pay EXTRA close attention to her to make sure the girl doesn¡¯t just get herself killed in here¡­¡­¡­


    I looked at the girl who was holding onto Johana¡¯s left arm and jumping up and down with a pleading look. Whenever my father spoke of explorers he did so in tones of respect, I doubt he would¡¯ve ever imagined that one could be like¡­.. well¡­ this.


    ¡°No! You can¡¯t go off alone in a dungeon if you can¡¯t even defend yourself properly! You¡¯re a healer Cecilia, do you even KNOW any offensive magic because I know for a fact that staff is less than useless as a weapon in your hands¡­¡­¡± (Johana)


    ¡°I DO know one big sis¡­..¡± (Cecilia)


    ¡°Oh, and what is it then?¡± (Johana)


    ¡°¡­¡­.A basic mana ball¡­¡­¡­¡± (Cecilia)


    I watched as Johana¡¯s left eye began to twitch spastically, I truly pitied her in that moment.


    How did she even pass the explorer¡¯s guild admission tests? It couldn¡¯t be that someone pushed her through them even knowing she was like this, right? That would just be an act of cruel bulling towards her party and Cecilia herself¡­¡­¡­ No, the explorer¡¯s guild is really respectable, father always said so after all, there¡¯s no way a staff member of the guild would ever do that¡­¡­¡­.


    Johana turned back towards me and gave me a smile.


    ¡°Excuse us a moment Miss Hanna, I have to give my junior here an educational lecture¡­. Erica if you would be so kind as to help me with her¡­..¡± (Johana)


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, please go ahead but do be careful as there are traps on this floor as well as creatures that will attack you.¡± (Hanna)


    I watched as the half elf practically dragged the younger elf away towards a sole nearby tree as Erica followed along behind them.


    ¡°Um, fair golden haired maiden? I wish to inquire something of you myself¡­.¡± (Feris)


    And then there''s this one¡­¡­¡­¡­. Alright, business face Hanna¡­.. give him just enough so that he doesn¡¯t lose interest or develop a negative impression, but not so much that you seem interested in him at all in THAT way¡­¡­


    I looked at the thin redheaded boy who I was beginning to wish had never come to the dungeon with his wondering eyes, then I gave him my kind and sweet business smile.


    ¡°Yes Feris?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°My heart yarns for you! Might you take my hand in matrimony lady Hanna?¡± (Feris)


    I just stared at the boy for a while.


    That¡¯s weird I could¡¯ve sworn that I heard him ask to marry me¡­¡­. Huh, that¡¯s weird usually I imagine Waynor doing something like that¡­¡­ Maybe I really am starting to lose my mind? No, that can¡¯t be it¡­.. I¡¯m just a little emotionally and mentally unstable right now, something that¡¯s perfectly normal for someone in my situation, right? Yeah¡­. I bet I¡¯m actually doing better than most would in this sort of position too¡­¡­¡­ And all those weird feelings and thoughts are just my minds strange coping mechanisms, as long as I remember that I¡¯ll stay sane¡­¡­. But then it wouldn¡¯t really make sense for me to imagine Feris saying something like that would it? Maybe I just misheard him¡­¡­¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry what did you ask again?¡± (Hanna)


    The boy smiled and went down on one knee.


    ¡°I asked if you would join me in blissful matrimony here in this flowery meadow of dreams. We can even consummate our love here if you so-¡­¡­¡­ ARRRRHHHGGG!!!! FUCK ERICA!!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW CLOSE THAT WAS TO HITTING MY DICK!?!?!?!?¡± (Feris)


    I looked down at the boy who was now close to tears as he rolled on the ground hugging his thigh and trying not to touch the knife embedded in it. I recognized it as one of the butter and pastry knives from our meal earlier, but how it got into Feris I couldn¡¯t tell. I didn¡¯t even see anything happen, not even a flash, suddenly Feris was just on the ground shouting at Erica in the distance.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Ok, so the explorers and Erica in particular do in fact live up to what father said about them being incredibly skilled and dangerous¡­¡­ Noted¡­..


    While I watched Feris roll on the ground as he tried to remove the cutlery from his inner thigh I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Darek smile at me and step back a bit.


    ¡°I, unlike the kid there, have a few ACTUAL questions¡­¡­ Would you be so kind as to answer what you can Miss Hanna?¡± (Darek)


    I smiled back at the armored man, at least he was polite and had a nice fatherly aura about him. Feris could go bleed out and die while I answered this nice man¡¯s questions for all I cared now.


    ¡°Why I¡¯d be happy to Darek, please ask me anything you¡¯d like¡­¡­.¡± (Hanna)


    <hr />


    ¡°I see¡­¡­.. Yes, if that¡¯s the case than this would be perfect for little Cass¡­. As long as Kara and I make sure to be careful of any wisp attacks¡­¡­.. Yes, I do believe that Cass, Kara, and I could come to this place even as soon as I get back to them. Thank you for all the help Miss Hanna, I¡¯ll be sure to fill in the guild master after she¡¯s done with her lecture as well¡± (Darek)


    I just glanced back at where the others were. Feris was tied up and suspended from one of the tree¡¯s tallest branches, Johana was gesturing and pointing at a kneeling and downcast Cecilia, and Erica was sitting in the shade of the tree eating what looked to be carefully packed leftovers from our earlier meal. I looked back at Darek again, the man had been diligently listening to me for the last hour and had even taken out a piece of paper and a pencil to take notes.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..Father, I finally meet explorers but really only one is anywhere near as respectable as you said they were¡­¡­¡­¡­. Although, I¡¯m sure Johana is strong and I know for sure now Erica is¡­¡­. I almost feel sorry for Feris, but then again he did try groping me so¡­¡­¡­¡­ Yeah, he deserves this¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°Lady Hanna, I apologize for my delay, it took some time to get here from the mazes even using the most direct path¡­¡­¡± (Ralt)


    I looked up at the hill to my right as I heard the tinny voice of the one we have been waiting for. Even as I saw him and a few of his siblings crest the hill I noticed that Darek had his weapon and shield drawn and had put himself between myself and the mites. The other explorers also gathered around the two of us with weapons out ready for battle in what seemed like no time at all. The only one who was missing was Cecilia, but I could see the girl running towards us from the tree she had been kneeling nest to for the last hour.


    ¡°The number looks like seven¡­..¡± (Darek)


    ¡°Yes, but what rank are they? They can¡¯t be that high since they¡¯re on the first real floor here¡­.¡± (Feris)


    ¡°They¡¯re all probably at least rank 4, you can tell by the way they move and by how their carapaces seem to reflect light like there''re metallic. Be careful people, those mandible jaws, clawed legs, and stingers look sharp¡­. Assume their poisoned too just to be on the safe side. Erica you and Darek will be the front line, Feris you help, guard, and do not GROPE Cecilia, I¡¯ll be mid and long ranged support¡­¡­¡± (Johana)


    I was listening to what Johana was saying and had to admit she was good, she didn¡¯t even flinch under the pressure of a perceived ambush. Her orders were clear, used everyone¡¯s apparent strengths to their advantages, and likely would¡¯ve worked in most cases. Unfortunately for her I had no desire to see who was the better leader and warrior between her and Ralt which meant it was time for me to diffuse this situation.


    I stepped out from behind Darek and walked to meet my eight legged companion and this group¡¯s new guide.


    ¡°Hello Ralt, I see you brought some of your battle-kin with you as well¡­.¡± (Hanna)


    As the giant insect creature reached me, he dipped his head slightly and his kin did almost a full bow with their head dips. I just waved and gave a slight curtsy to Ralt since he was a good guy for a giant bug after all, plus he was named which from what I understood of what Loria told me made him like monster super nobility or something akin to that.


    ¡°Yes, they shall serve as guards for us both as Master Waynor is unsure of whether or not the flower soldiers will see us as enemies for aiding invaders. They are rather simple creations after all, the wisps and especially the pixies shouldn¡¯t have any such problems though.¡± (Ralt)


    ¡°Oh, I see then I must thank you Ralt. I also extend my thanks to you all, Honored battle-kin. I place my life in your hands.¡± (Hanna)


    The mites began making that screeching noise that sounded like sharp metal scraps scraping against each other that I knew as their laughter. The mites really were fond of little jokes among allies and friends. Of course the explorers were not well versed in the subtle arts of mite humor and all tensed as they heard that sound.


    ¡°Ah a fine use of metaphor lady Hanna, your life will be completely safe in our ¡®hands¡¯¡­..¡± (Ralt)


    I felt a cautious tap at my shoulder that seemed to linger just slightly longer than was really necessary, I turned to see Johana holding her bow out but not drawn anymore and looking at me with rather confused eyes.


    ¡°Um, Miss Hanna? Is this monster by any chance the associate we were waiting for?¡± (Johana)


    I smiled at the woman before I stepped back to send all of the explorers the same expression and message.


    ¡°Why yes he is, allow me to introduce you to Ralt the warrior mite and his nameless escort of battle-kin. Ralt as you know these invaders are Waynor¡¯s guests and I would like them to survive this tour if at all possible, could you see to it that this happens?¡± (Hanna)


    The mite looked up at me for a while before giving a single nod.


    ¡°Only if it does not impede your or my safety, that is after all our primary concern Lady Hanna. Otherwise we can only hope that their deaths provide some joy to Master Waynor¡­..¡± (Ralt)


    ¡­¡­¡­..Wow Ralt, you could have really just kept that last bit to yourself¡­¡­¡­.


    I just looked back at the explorers who didn¡¯t really seem all that surprised or angry about that declaration, well except for Cecilia who just seemed to be rather confused but not really troubled by it.


    ¡°Yes well¡­¡­.. Now that we all know each other and know that we¡¯re not threats to each other let¡¯s all get moving shall we? I¡¯m sure that our guests will be pleasantly surprised by many things in this level of the dungeon. Oh, and everyone do remember to watch out for traps Ralt and I won¡¯t set them off but that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re not there¡­¡­..¡± (Hanna)


    I began to walk ahead of the explorers and mites leading the way forward for both groups and hoping that they would not kill each other even if they didn¡¯t join up together.


    ¡­¡­..So this should be fun¡­¡­.. now I just have to think of ways to get them to offer up all their knowledge, lots of books, and more people to ¡°visit and try the dungeon¡± in the negotiations afterwards to make Waynor happy¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Which I am doing SOLELY out of my sense of obligation and duty and not this false construct of a desire to have him praise me¡­¡­.. Yep, totally not that¡­¡­¡­. Hanna already knows she¡¯s a good girl¡­¡­¡­. Shit I¡¯m doing it again¡­.. I am not a pet I want to be more than-¡­¡­. Er¡­ I am not a pet¡­¡­.I am a proud human¡­¡­¡­¡­ I am not a pet¡­¡­. I am a proud human¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


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    so that''s all............ i could say stuff here but i''m to tired to try.............


    next chapter has different POV''s........


    do that thing a ask fans to do at the end of every chapter..............


    Author sleeps................

 Chapter 12: Touring the gardens of bliss

    sooooo my last post was easily my most hated one so far...... besides the fact it was a non-chapter post which i really cant do anything about, other than say again that it was a spur of the moment thing and i''m going back to not making posts like that for the foreseeable future (unless the poll says the Q&A post is cool to make..... then i guess i''ll post that too....).... anyway after reading all the comments, i can tell that most of you seem to not understand what i was trying to put across so let me try clearing that up now......


    a lot of you seem to assume that i''m just gonna release a book with what i have now...... that isn''t what''s going to happen, i''m not going to start to seriously start the long publication process for the first volume of D.I. until that volumn is actually DONE!!!! that''ll be at or after chapter 20 at my currant pace people.... that''s probably plenty of content for a decent length hard cover book (but if it turns out to be less than 250 pages, than i''m sticking to strictly an e-book for D.I..... even if that means i gotta publish it myself without using Inkshare..... no reason to have you guys pay more for something that''s that short just to have it as a hard-copy, at least that''s how i feel....)......


    next, and i have no idea how you guys confused this point, if D.I. actually gets published the published book will have MUCH better editing. i mean it''s going to be edited and cleaned by PROFESSIONALS people, why are you saying it should at least be edited before you would consider buying it? i cant be more clear than "WILL BE EDITED BY PROFESSIONALS WHOSE JOB IS TO EDIT BOOKS!!!!!" if that doesnt get through clearly enough than i got nothing.......


    of course i''m going to put in some extra content like new bonus chapters and professional quality cover art and what not..... it''s a book with a story that can be found (if pretty unedited) online for free.... duh i''m gonna give extra for the people who decide to actually buy it.......


    to those who are concerned with me dropping this project, let me say once again i "DON''T DROP MY PROJECTS" (Well except for F.F.G but that was a whole different thing......) all of my stories will have an ending, even if i have to take multiple breaks and a few years of writing to actually reach that ending..... they will have them though, and really thats all that matters in the long run......


    and let me just say that i only annonced the publishing thing when i did so that you guys could help me share it (Mainly since i dont really have any social media i can promote it on.....) and build up interest before i actually open it up for preordering which will decide if the thing even gets published by Inkshares at all.... it was basically my attempt to ensure that i had a following for it before just randomly opening the preorder process when Volume one is ready and hoping for the best......


    and next and i cant stress this enough, i do care about my fan-base, i care quite a lot actually..... without you guys i would still think that i couldnt write for shit and that the stories i dream up would be worth less than nothing because of what some asshole teacher told me when i was a kid...... I write for myself yes, but mostly i write to share my stories with all of YOU. I just tend to get a bit overexcited/obsessed with things at times and that can make me come off as annoying or like i dont care, but once again i assure you that i do......


    now i''m sure there is more info i should give you guys about this, or there are some points i missed adressing in this author''s note, but i''m tired and most of you probably dont want to hear about that until volume 1 is actually done and written..... so i guess that''s when i''ll talk about it, when i actual finish up volume 1........


    Anyway here''s that chapter delivered as promised..... I''ll edit this sometime tomorrow.... probably.....


    ENJOY!!!!!!


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    <hr />


    Cecilia


    <hr />


    My life had always been decided for me, I was too precious to be treated in any other way. Born in the sacred grove inside a vast thousand year old forest, I never really got to know my birth parents since the spirits of the sacred tree blessed me. Because I was born with such strong mana and blessed with a gift for healing magic by the spirits my fate was determined before I could even understand anything, I would become an acolyte of the gods of healing. For thirty years I lived in a mass temple of the goddess Virtia, I learned the ways of magic and healing, and I didn¡¯t ever even question that this would be my entire life. Then things changed¡­


    A revolution occurred that resulted in the death of the king consort, the prince heir, and permanently crippled the first princess. It also took away everything I had ever known. The rebel elven warriors saw to it that the temple of Virtia was burned down to nothing and all inside it were killed, I only escaped due to a spell one of the matrons cast that sent me and some of the other attendant acolytes out of the Sealiven kingdom and into a human village that traded with our temple periodically every fall.


    In that village we were tentatively accepted, which was the best we could really hope for given our different race I guess, we stayed there for an entire season using our talents to act as healers for the village. When the village put together the trading caravan to go to Sealiven we went with them, when we were back in my birth kingdom we found out all that happened and how the revolution had failed but had cost the kingdom so much. We learned that we had no home to go back to then, and we all went to personally see the place where the temple used to stand just to confirm that for ourselves.


    When I looked at that empty space I felt lost for the first time in my life, instead of staying in Sealiven and going to a different temple like the others I decided to return to the village and live with the humans. I served as that village¡¯s healer for many years and made many friends before I found out about the existence of the explorer¡¯s guild. I met an explorer and he unknowingly convinced me to be one too when he told stories about his adventures. I wanted that for myself, a life where I could share stories of my many adventures and bring smiles and joy to the people that heard them like that man could.


    Once I knew that¡¯s what I wanted I packed up the few things I owned myself, used all my money to buy a new staff meant for combat from the village craftsman, and set out for the kingdom of Metia. I was going to be an explorer and since I only knew of the explorer¡¯s guild branch in Metia, that¡¯s where I went.


    I had heard that there was an exam I would need to pass to become an explorer, but the man who interviewed me named Benj said that he would let me become an explorer without taking it. He also said that there was a mission that would be perfect for me, who was just starting out, and that this mission was starting that very day, he also said that it would be in my best interest to join the party that was taking that mission on. I was so excited to go on my first mission, Benj even said he would look after my access luggage and belongings for me while I was gone, I had really lucked out with meeting such a nice guild staff member on my first visit.


    When I went to the place Benj told me was the meeting place for the explorers who accepted the mission I first meet the party. Erica was really elegant and impressive, Feris was funny and free spirited, Darek was strong and kind, and Johana was really nice and taught me lots of things about being an explorer. She even said that I could call her big sister, but Johana could also be really scary and mean when she was mad. Over the time we traveled together they all became close friends to me, and even though there were some scary parts when monsters attacked they always made sure to keep me safe and dealt with the monsters so fast I couldn¡¯t really even tell how they did it.


    It was really fun, but everything got even better when we finally reached the dungeon we were traveling to. I had never thought that dungeon expeditions could be so amazing, the way they were always described to me made them seem so dangerous and scary before. There was a person and a floating orb I think was the dungeon somehow waiting for us inside, and the dungeon itself was amazing. Everything was so pretty I couldn¡¯t even describe it, even the girl, Hanna, was like that, it almost made me feel jealous before I remembered that as an explorer I shouldn¡¯t worry so much about my appearance.


    They offered us refreshments and we all sat down to have the absolute best meal I had ever eaten in my life, it was then I really started to figure out why people sometimes didn¡¯t come back from dungeon exploration. Sure some might have succumbed to some of the more dangerous ones that Johana told me about before, but I think most just decided to stay for the food¡­¡­.


    When we had finished the food Hanna explained some of the rules to the dungeon, there weren¡¯t that many but she said those that were there were really important and we couldn¡¯t break them. Then Hanna took us all on a tour and I learned that dungeons are even more lavish and nice than even my old temple and what I saw of the Sealiven palace.


    Hanna eventually took us to the first real floor of the dungeon, and when I saw it I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. It was utterly perfect, beautiful in ways I couldn¡¯t ever put into words. The floor looked like a vast open aired meadow on a bright and sunny day with countless flowers, it held this sort of sweet and light scent to it too. The only thing I could think off to compare it to was the one time I was allowed to reenter the sacred grove of my birth forest as an inducted member of the temple of Virtia when I turned 20, and even then the scared grove¡¯s splendor and beauty were less than nothing before this place. I just wanted to wonder and explore this entire place, but when I asked Johana if I could do just that she stopped me and gave me a long lecture instead¡­


    Big sis Johana lectured me for about an hour, Erica had tied up and hung Feris from a tree again, and Darek was talking with Hanna about something. It wasn¡¯t exactly what I had imagined my first dungeon expedition and mission as an explorer would be like, but it was fun in its own way. When a voice called out from a nearby hill, everyone seemed to tense up. I looked at where the voice had come from and saw insect monsters heading towards were Darek and Hanna were. Then suddenly Erica was there with them as well, big sis Johana was telling me to move towards there too, and Feris was out his binds and was almost down out of the tree.


    Before I could even get up everyone had already gathered around Hanna and had their weapons out. I hurried to get to where they were too, but I wasn¡¯t nearly as fast at things as they all were. When I had reached them Hanna was already talking with one of the monsters, and she began to introduce us to them. I wasn¡¯t really sure if that was normal in dungeon explorations or not, but I gave the bug monsters a small wave and smile just to be safe. It was always good to be polite after all, at least that¡¯s what the head matron of the temple used to say.


    After everyone calmed down and big sis Johana said that the bug monsters probably wouldn¡¯t try to hurt us, we began to follow them and Hanna as she resumed our tour of this wonderful place¡­..


    <hr />


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s bitter root! And oh that over there looks like Virtia¡¯s weed¡­¡­.. There are so many herbs here, and so many with medicinal properties¡­¡­ Big sis, are you SURE I can¡¯t go pick any of them?¡± (Cecilia)


    We were walking along a stone laid path that was away from where most of the walking flower monsters were and Hanna said was the only path that actually lead anywhere close to the way to the next floor. She had shown us through what she said was three floors now, but it had taken well over four hours to even get to this point. I had never thought that dungeon expeditions would take so long, but just by looking around this place I felt myself be restored and all of my fatigue just seemed to melt away. I couldn¡¯t sense things from this place as clearly as I could from nature normally, the plants didn¡¯t even seem interested in whispering to me in the wind here after all, but I did sense that the nature in this place was much different from anything I had sensed outside of this dungeon. It was almost like everything was connected more closely and tightly here than in even the scared grove of my birth forest, and everything seemed to be happy as well as have defined purpose. It was nice, like this place had found a way to only have all the best positive and beautiful qualities of nature while not having them be tainted by confusion, disorder, and some more of the more negative aspects of nature. As an elf and as one touched and blessed by spirits of nature this place appealed to me in ways I couldn¡¯t even describe, there was just one problem¡­.


    ¡°What did I tell you the last hundred times you asked? No, stay with the group. Besides Hanna said that there are traps, corrupted plants, AND plant monsters pretending to be normal flowers and herbs in this place. It isn¡¯t safe for you to go off on your own, ESPECIALLY not if you¡¯re going off to pick herbs. You don¡¯t even know any purification magic or how to dispel corruption, do you Cecilia?¡± (Big sis Johana)


    I let out a little sigh as I kicked a pebble on the path towards a nearby tree. She was right of course, big sis Johana always was, but walking through this wondrous place and doing nothing besides looking was like torture. I wanted to explore, to pick all the rare herbs I could find, to try fighting one of those flower soldier thingies. I wanted to do all the fun stuff that was in the stories that the explorer who inspired me to become an explorer myself used to tell.


    ¡­..But I guess I really should listen to Big sis Johana¡­¡­ I think they all might still be mad about when I fell for that illusion in the second room¡­.. But how was I supposed to know that lady Virtia wasn¡¯t ACTUALLY here in person to commend me for following the explorer path? I¡¯m sure that trap would¡¯ve fooled a lot of the acolytes from the temple¡­¡­.


    There was a strange sort of rustling sound coming from somewhere, and the meadow seemed to get happier for whatever reason. I was happy that I got to share in some of the happiness I sensed from this place, usually nature only rejoiced like this when something big happened like the birth of some great creature or when a new forest is born. I had only felt this sort of sensation once before I came to this place, and at that time it was a far more subdued feeling. Now I had felt sensations like this countless times, it was even beginning to make me feel all giddy and a little strange like I was dizzy, light, worry free, and happy all at once. I liked it, it was fun feeling like that.


    ¡°By the gods! Did Cecilia just set off ANOTHER trap?!?! What¡¯s that make this now, the seventh one of this kind? I mean I¡¯m into clumsy chicks and all, but this is just too much even for me¡­..¡± (Feris)


    ¡°This is the eighth time actually¡­..¡± (Erica)


    What are they talking about? What trap? Eighth time?


    I looked up at everyone to see them staring at me. Well at least they seemed like they were staring at me, they might¡¯ve actually been looking at something else behind me though. That idea grew stronger in my mind as I felt something wrap around my legs and begin to tug me into the air. As I was pulled upside down, shaken, and pulled back towards the tree I kicked that pebble at by strong vines I began to panic as my giddy feeling was pushed to the back of my mind once again.


    ¡°No!!! Not again!!! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!! BIIIIGGGGG SIIIIIIISSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!¡± (Cecilia)


    ¡°¡­..Um, guild master? Do you want to take a break for a while, I could rescue Cecilia this time around if you wanted¡­..¡± (Darek)


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine I¡¯ll do it. It is partially my fault too, I assumed she would be fine for at least five seconds without my super vision and took my eyes off her¡­¡­¡± (Big sis Johana)


    "I shall send two of my battle-kin to aid you as well, perhaps it would be best that they stay with the girl from now on too. These delays are beginning to become a habit with that one after all....." (Ralt)


    ¡°Um, well once again those are an example of one of the many moving vine traps on this level¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t think someone would be able to fall for them so many times without figuring out the trick about avoiding them, but I¡¯ll just say it so we don¡¯t have this problem again: trees or bushes without fruit and that have drooping leaves are probably trapped¡­..¡± (Hanna)


    As I felt myself begin to faint as all the blood rushed to my head and the vines began to wrap me up tighter and cover more of my body, I tried to focus on the figure of Big sis Johana coming to rescue me and remembering not to touch the trees with drooping leaves for when I go exploring in dungeons on my own later on as an explorer.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­I wonder if big sis Johana will use some of that pantra herb over there to help me recover from abnormal blood flow¡­¡­. Hmm maybe this place even has cymposia flowers and quinfolt grass like there was in the sacred grove too¡­.. Then it would have almost every minor herb I know of that could be found in this region¡­¡­¡­ maybe I should ask Hanna or Ralt after this¡­¡­.. They¡­¡­¡­would¡­¡­¡­.know¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


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    <hr />


    Ralt


    <hr />


    Over the last month things had changed drastically for us mites. Master Waynor had altered us, allowed us to increase our numbers, provided a new source of food in the flower soldiers, relocated our hives to be in one of the mazes, and re-tasked us in our duties. Mites had been evolving fairly frequently and Warrior mites had been given the ability to speak like one of the seven races with new additional vocal chords, though it still takes my kin a long time to learn the language of the humans. I doubt that any besides my battle-kin knew anything significant, and even they only knew those few phrases I was able to teach them myself.


    Master Waynor was improving all the mites with the new samples my battle kin and I were able to bring back, giving my kin the abilities to produce silk as well as more varieties of webbing, create stronger acid, and in some variant cases have wings. The warrior mites were made to be stronger than they were before, and gained all the new abilities given to the mites as well as even stronger carapaces and the new vocal chords. Master Waynor was also constantly increasing my kind and kin¡¯s intelligence, something that was showing immediate results amongst my kind.


    The mites were tasked with the new duties of expanding and creating vast mazes that adhered to Master Waynor¡¯s sense of beauty and tastes, guarding the maze floors and allowing none to pass them to the core floor, and our old duty of maintaining the dungeon and keeping it in the pristine condition master Waynor desired. We mites were of course beyond honored to take up these duties, and each hive swore to see them done to perfection.


    My kind¡¯s new duties, new abilities and intelligence, and new abundance of food besides other mites caused a shift in what my kind thought of as the best way to interact with each other. The hives came to council many times and after much deliberation finally came to an agreement about what should be done. It was decided that each hive would operate under a tentative truce so as to fulfil Waynor¡¯s wishes and that disagreements between hives would be conducted and settled as battles to the death between a team of battle-kin from each side. It was also decided that my hive, the thirteenth hive would be solely concerned with following Waynor¡¯s will and would be a neutral force that could provide council and judgement to the other twelve hives, a position that my hive mother fought long and hard for in a debate that took many days. I myself and by extension my battle-kin were in a different position from the rest of the hive however, we served only as guards and warriors for our Master Waynor, and were politically neutral even to our own hive. I myself was in a position not all that unlike the hive mother¡¯s as my battle-kin and I were answerable to no one but Waynor himself and his aid Instinct. My battle-kin were further tasked with overseeing a largely neutral policing force made up of mites from every hive excluding the thirteenth that would aid us and enforce the new laws governing mites in the dungeon, an honor that was given to my battle-kin and I solely due to our new position and the fact that I was trusted by Master Waynor enough to be bestowed a name.


    Under these new laws and conditions mites from different hives were able to work together to better carry out Master Waynor¡¯s will, and the new hive battles offered a way to both settle disputes of all kinds between hives and also for a mite to gain honor for one¡¯s battle-kin and hive. It was a system that while simple and flawed, allowed us mites to unify somewhat and become more effective servants to Master Waynor.


    I myself spent much of the month after the new laws were set training the 10,000 new mites now under my command and getting them soul stones so that we could run training sessions and hunts outside of the dungeon, something Waynor was willing to allow as long as we brought back more samples. Within a week my battle-kin and I had gained these new mites¡¯ trust and loyalty, and had more than half of them evolve with fewer than 50 deaths. I had decided that I would mold these mites into perfect, honorable, and totally loyal warriors. They would eventually renounce their ties to their hives and become a truly political neutral force like my battle-kin and I were.


    The training my battle kin and I put these mites through was hard, meant to break them down and build them back up into stronger, closer, and more loyal warriors. We had them navigate the mazes without the use of guiding pheromones and with only limited food in groups made up of mites from different hives, we had them venture out into the outside world lead by one of my battle-kin, we had them conduct mock battles amongst each other, and I personally instructed the evolved warrior mites on the human language.


    These mites were far from the level I¡¯d like them to be at, but after a few weeks had passed the explorers that Master Waynor had been waiting for arrived. I was informed that Lady Hanna would be giving them a tour of the dungeon¡¯s first level and that Waynor and Instinct wanted me with her to guard her. I learned that as Waynor¡¯s honor guard it was my battle-kin and I¡¯s duty to protect Lady Hanna as well since she was held dear by Master Waynor.


    When I picked up the scent that said the explorers had begun their tour I left with some of my battle kin leaving the rest to continue overseeing the training of the thousands of new mites conducting mock battles in the eleventh floor maze. We traveled the most direct route to reach the point Hanna had specified as our meeting point on the first floor, but it still took quite some time to reach. What I saw when I reached there was not what I had expected, the humans and what I assumed were elves from what Master Waynor¡¯s aid Instinct told me about their race were all prepared for battle with weapons drawn.


    From what I heard from the elf woman who seemed to be the leader of the explorer group, she seemed to be a capable leader and had dependable subordinates who were quick to take action. I myself told my battle-kin not to speak in human at all during this tour as a precaution, from what I understood of things the seven races perceived creatures who could speak their languages as fluently as they do as being intelligent and dangerous threats. As I already spoke in human and they knew I was named by Lady Hanna saying my name in greeting, there was no real way or need for me to hide my ability to speak in human.


    I decided that I would have to be careful around these explorers, they seemed to be far more dangerous than the first human invaders to the dungeon. After Lady Hanna made the introductions and began the tour my battle-kin and I began to escort her and observe the explorers, I would use what we observed from them to further train ourselves and the new mite force under my command¡­...


    <hr />


    As I looked back and saw two of my battle-kin slay yet another group of flower soldiers that the elf called Cecilia managed to attract, I wondered how one so unskilled could survive until now.


    ¡­¡­It is remarkable how weak this one is compared to the skill of the other explorers¡­¡­ The others appear to be far stronger than even the invader leader I fought the last time, I might not be able to best any of them in single combat besides the elf Cecilia¡­.. Although if a few of my battle kin and I were to separate and ambush them, I was confident that we would be able to deal with them¡­. But if we are guarding Lady Hanna¡­.


    I looked over at the Lady Hanna as she talked with the explorer leader Johana and the man Darek, if she were to be attacked we would only be able to help her escape these people as we did not have the ability or numbers needed to truly protect her from them.


    I looked at my brothers and sisters around me that were helping to guard Lady Hanna as well, I let out the pheromone for cation and dangerous threat once more to remind them that we were not yet ready or able to take on people such as these. They nodded and released scents of understanding and conviction to die if needed.


    ¡°Leader Ralt, if it comes down to it allow us to hold them off while you escape with Lady Hanna. You are too important to be used as a sacrifice with all your duties¡­.¡± (Female Warrior mite)


    As I heard my sister say that in our own language I looked back to see her and my other battle kin nodding and releasing scents of agreement. They didn¡¯t want me to risk myself because of my status as leader and a named creature, they were reader and willing to honorably sacrifice themselves to ensure that Lady Hanna and I survived. I was proud of my battle-kin for that, and I decided that I would honor their wishes as they had merit.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°Very well sister, if things come to that I wish you all an honorable battle¡­¡± (Ralt)


    My battle-kin all nodded to me and responded as I expected they would.


    ¡°And should we fall in battle let our deaths bring honor and glory to the dungeon and our master, Lord Waynor!¡± (Mites around Ralt)


    I left my battle-kin to inform the two guarding Cecilia and moved to walk closer to the explorers. I wanted to be ready to react immediately bringing Lady Hanna and myself to safety if they should begin to act overly hostile or violent. As I carefully observed them, and was stealthily observed in turn by the elf woman called Johana, I let myself ponder over a subject that had been bothering me ever since my battle-kin and I had begun to train the 10,000 mites now under my command.


    ¡­¡­Though I truly hope things need not come to the point where honorable sacrifices must be made¡­¡­ I must improve¡­ No, we ALL must improve, every mite from every hive must grow stronger. The mites must grow so strong that we need not have to commit honorable sacrifices just to fulfil simple missions¡­¡­. And my battle kin and I must grow even stronger than that¡­. My siblings and I must grow and attain such power and skill that we are unmatched by any who would invade the Master¡¯s dungeon¡­¡­ perhaps if we mites were to further evolve-¡­.


    My thoughts were interrupted when one of the explorers called out to me, the heavily armored one called Darek.


    ¡°Your name was Ralt, right?¡± (Darek)


    I looked at the man as we walked, he did not seem to be listening to Lady Hanna¡¯s explanations or warnings about the floor anymore as his focus was solely on me. I could feel a strange sort of pressure from his gaze, as if he were death itself and that any who opposed him would simply fall before his battle prowess. With a twitch of my antennae I cast off the hold that gaze had over me, if he wished to battle me then I would meet him in honorable combat and if I should die at the end of our battle than I would die an honorable death fighting for my Master, Lord Waynor.


    ¡°That is correct human. You were the one named Darek, yes?¡± (Ralt)


    The man laughed at that, but the pressure from his gaze did not wane at all in fact it seemed to increase.


    ¡°Yes that¡¯s me, I must say it¡¯s rather surprising to find a monster who can speak the human tongue so well here¡­.. The guild master and I were quite shocked by you Ralt. Tell me, how is it that you know Miss Hanna again?¡± (Darek)


    His tone took on a slightly hostile tone I didn¡¯t like at the end of his question. I was beginning to understand this man as he spoke to me, he was a protector just as I was and the man had his own honor much like we mites did. I was sure that he would not hesitate to act if what I said next was not to his liking, and if Master Waynor did not wish to further interact with these explorers I would¡¯ve seized this moment to strike first. Unfortunately I was not to cause these explorers harm unless they meant harm to us first, and since he seemed to hold no hostility to Lady Hanna and had not harmed my battle-kin or I in any way yet I could not attack him without violating the will and orders of my master.


    ¡°She is a Lady of the Master Waynor¡¯s dungeon, the first and only Lady of the dungeon there is currently.¡± (Ralt)


    ¡°And she is also a human girl who appears to be only five or so years older than my own daughter. If she is being held here against her will, or I find out that this dungeon has done something to-¡­¡­¡± (Darek)


    I cut the human off before he said something that could cause one of my battle-kin to attack him, we mites did not respond well to threats to our master and creator, and the mites under my command responded to such threats even worse than the average mite would. It was entirely likely that if this human continued to speak one or more of my battle-kin would attempt to kill him for his implied threat.


    ¡°It seems you are confused human, the duty of protecting Lady Hanna belongs SOLELY to my battle kin and I. You, Darek, are nothing more than a guest here, not Lady Hanna¡¯s protector¡­¡± (Ralt)


    The man was silent for quite some time as we walked.


    ¡°¡­¡­After this mission is over and I return here with my family only to find out that girl wants to leave this place, I¡¯ll make sure that she does no matter what that might take¡­¡­¡± (Darek)


    I looked at the man and had to give him credit for his conviction, the sheer pressure behind his words and gaze assured me that he meant what he said. I was beginning to respect this human, he was honorable in his own way, but if he thought that he would ever be able to take something from my master Lord Waynor than he was sorely mistaken.


    ¡°And should that mean that you ever become a danger to Master Waynor or attempt to take away his joy, then I will see to it that you and all your kin die in a way that he finds amusing while you are in his dungeon¡­...¡± (Ralt)


    The human paused his steps for a moment before he returned to his normal pace and continued walking ahead with the group. I could also see that the elf had a reaction when I spoke leading me to believe her to be eavesdropping on the conversation. That was fine, these people should understand where they stood after all¡­¡­


    Lady Hanna may enjoy your company and be friendly towards you, but to me you people are nothing more than my master¡¯s guests¡­¡­ If need be than I shall be more than happy to orchestrate all of your deaths in this dungeon, or if need be than I would also be content to see you all off peacefully as you leave the dungeon¡­.


    ¡°So we both know where we stand now, huh?¡± (Darek)


    ¡°It seems we do, human¡­¡± (Ralt)


    Just before we came to the entrance of the third floor and I was to become Lady Hanna¡¯s and by extension these people¡¯s guide, the human Darek made one last statement.


    ¡°I have the power and skills of an A rank explorer, and have slain countless monsters stronger than you are Ralt. You should keep that in mind if we end up becoming enemies in the future¡­¡­¡± (Darek)


    I looked at the human, as he was honorable enough to give me fair warning of his own capabilities it would only be right to do the same myself. After all one must always uphold the honor of a dual between two warriors fighting to protect something.


    ¡°And I am constantly growing more powerful due to my master¡¯s grace as well as the loyalty of thousands of mites under my command. You should keep that in mind if you ever decide to become an enemy to my Master Waynor, or to me¡­¡­¡± (Ralt)


    As we came to the entrance to the fourth floor I took my new place directly at Lady Hanna¡¯s side once more alongside my battle-kin. As I arrived my battle-kin informed me through pheromone scents that they had told the two battle-kin currently guarding Cecilia about what would happen if things took a turn for the worse during this tour. As I walked into position I began to release strong pheromones that should be picked up by any mites on this floor requesting for more of my battle-kin to gather at the entrance floor. There would be no way for the number of battle-kin with me now and myself to keep these explorers from leaving on our own, but if ALL my battle-kin were there...


    Just a simple precaution¡­¡­ Hopefully it will prove to be unnecessary, but if it doesn¡¯t and these explorers really turn out to be hostile then they shall not leave Master Waynor¡¯s dungeon alive¡­¡­


    As I walked next to Lady Hanna crossing the misty bridge onto the fourth floor, I felt her hand brush against my back. As I looked up at her she quietly asked me a question with a concerned expression.


    ¡°What did you and Darek talk about Ralt? He seems like he¡¯s in a different mood now than he was before, and Johana seems to have heard it and had a change of mood as well¡­¡­¡± (Hanna)


    Lady Hanna had tapped my carapace lightly when she spoke about the Johana woman overhearing my conversation with Darek, a subtle way to tell me she was probably listing to our exchange right now if I had not already known so. Lady Hanna was indeed a rather clever human, something that Loria the muse had been telling me was true regardless of what the aid Instinct would say at times.


    ¡°I merely explained to the man the differences in our duties, and what it was my duty and position in Master Waynor¡¯s dungeon actually were¡­¡­¡± (Ralt)


    ¡°I see¡­¡­. Do try and keep things civil Ralt, Waynor would want it that way.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°I know, and I shall. I was not being uncivil during that conversation anyway¡­..¡±(Ralt)


    As we walked off the bridge and onto the fourth floor of the dungeon, I began to walk slightly ahead of Lady Hanna to guide her in the direction we should go.


    I¡¯ll leave interacting with these explorers to Lady Hanna, she seems more than capable of handling that on her own¡­¡­ Though it is surprising, I wonder what it is about her that would cause that man to wish to protect her so strongly¡­.. Perhaps strongly wishing to protect strangers is merely a common human desire, that would explain things at least¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.


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    Erica


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    I was born in a land where one was either a slave, a member of nobility, or a soldier. This land was called Tristma and it was an empire that conquered other kingdoms in an endless desire to expand its territory. My father was a member of the emperors honor guard, and my mother was a pleasure slave he received as one of his rewards for his loyal service to the prior emperor. My status as the bastard daughter of a man of such high standing, a man who had decided to raise me himself no less, allowed me to follow a rather special path in life. I was allowed and expected to replace my father as a member of the new honor guard for the emperor.


    All my life I was groomed to be a tool, a weapon that could slay any foe that stood in my way, a servant whose talent and grace while working would astonish even the most wealthy and influential of guests, and a toy beautiful, untouched, and submissive enough to be worthy of being played with by the emperor himself. I was glad for the life that I was allowed to achieve because of who my father was, and I worked hard not to lose it. I worked to earn the love and trust my father gave me since the day he decided to raise his own bastard regardless of how it might mar his reputation, and I worked even harder to be taken seriously amongst the other honor guard candidates.


    By the age of ten I had mastered my father¡¯s sword style, and by twelve I had learned how to best him in matches even when using real steal. By fourteen I had developed my own original style based loosely of my father¡¯s and took my place among the emperor¡¯s honor guard by besting four of my peers and a member of the honor guard themselves in duels to the death. I took my place in the honor guard alongside my father, and was heralded as a prodigy and sword saint for my skills. I was the youngest to do so in a century, and my father was immensely proud of me.


    For three years I further honed my skills with a blade and had become one of the emperor¡¯s most trusted guards. Because of my position I was given many rewards with the one I cherished the most being the right to not have to serve any man at night if I did not wish to do so, thus allowing me to remain pure and take a husband in a marriage that would be blessed by Yealona goddess of virtue and purity. Marriage had not been a priority for me, but I was glad I would not have to perform night services on anyone and especially the emperor who was three times my own age.


    By the time I turned seventeen and became recognized as a woman, the name Erica was known to all inside the palace as belonging to the greatest known swordswoman in the empire. I was even being considered to have a last name and have my status as an illegitimate bastard be cast aside.


    That all changed though with the fall of the Tristma Empire. In an extremely violent revolt the people of many conquered kingdoms that had been absorbed into the Tristma Empire as slaves and workers banded together to bring down the empire that conquered their homes and oppressed them. It took only a mere two seasons for the masses to overthrow the emperor¡¯s rule and to break the empire up into the separate kingdoms it once was. Most of the Tristma military forces either fled the empire when it was clear that it would not survive the revolt, or were killed by the revolutionary forces. Near the end of the revolution the emperor was poisoned by one of the cooks, and on his deathbed he called his honor guard to give us one last order. Most of the emperor¡¯s honor guard left Tristma that night with the emperor¡¯s many children, it was our final task to guard the hiers of the emperor after his death and the fall of the empire itself.


    We decided amongst ourselves that it was best to split up and have only one or two of us guard each of the emperor¡¯s children, we would all each go in different directions and would protect the children as they lived out the rest of their lives wherever it was safe for them with their identities kept secret.


    I was tasked with protecting the fifteenth princess along with my father, and together we took a ship to the continent of Kalet and went about explaining to the young princess what her new life would be like.


    For the years after our arrival in Kalet, we lived a simpler but happy lives. Father and I registered as explorers and one of us would take missions while the other stayed behind to guard the princess, we both soon gained high ranks with myself becoming an A rank and father becoming a B rank. The Princess, Isabella Tristma, grew and began to blossom into a beautiful woman, one who had did not suffer from the egocentrism and snobbish sense of entitlement that so many noble-born members of nobility seemed to have.


    We moved constantly from region to region during that time until we finally settled in the capital city of the kingdom of Metia, Vel¡¯Aria. There we spent many years together, and planned to spend the rest of our lives there far away from where our pasts would matter or the revolutionaries would think or bother to send assassins. We didn¡¯t know whether or not the others had even survived, but that didn¡¯t really matter to me. All that mattered was that my father, Isabella who I was beginning to think of as a little sister, and I were all safe here.


    When I turned twenty four my father decided to retire and just live in the mid-sized home we had purchased with Isabella while I became a full time explorer. It was only a few months after that moment when I was offered a job that seemed very important and payed fairly well by Benj a staff member of the guild who was known to be lazy but competent.


    Accepting that job was perhaps the best decision of my life up to that point. The party was fairly impressive except for two members, a pervert and a clueless novice healer. I was impressed with the leadership and patience that guild master Johana displayed, and Darek I knew by reputation alone and whose skills I had observed were easily comparable to the A ranks of this region. Feris was skilled as well, just not to the level of the rest of us though it was clear the boy could reach our level with time, the problem was he was an irredeemable lecher and pervert. Then there was Cecilia the elven girl who could cast beginner healing magic, had an impressive knowledge of herbs and their uses, and had little to no survival instincts or combat ability whatsoever. It was a wonder the girl ever managed to pass the requirements exam to become even an F rank explorer, and I was half sure she would die before we returned from the dungeon expedition.


    I got to know the party over the journey to reach the dungeon it was our mission to investigate, and I was actually fond of the patient Johana and the quiet and respectful Darek. I also learned that Feris had impressive skills escaping bonds placed on him, and also didn¡¯t learn from his actions. Then there was Cecilia who I decided I would keep alive simply for her ability to make decent snacks from almost anything inside a forest.


    When we arrived at the dungeon however, I was met with a situation I never expected and didn¡¯t know how to deal with. There was a girl, Hanna, and a dungeon will, Waynor, waiting for our arrival who greeted us like we were expected guests at the dungeon¡¯s entrance floor. They even offered us refreshments, something that I was at first skeptical of but ended up changing my entire view on this dungeon.


    The desserts that were served were simply divine, they were better than even the rewards that I once received as a favored honor guard to the emperor of a vast and powerful empire. They were the best thing I had ever tasted in my life, and since I was already rather particular about what I considered good food that was the highest praise I could give. I was always fond of desserts, but after tasting the desserts that the dungeon will Waynor created for us I knew that all other desserts were all but ruined for me now.


    When the dungeon will Waynor asked me to live in his dungeon forever, I actually considered the offer seriously. I was more than willing myself and was only deciding if father and Isabella would go for it, when Johana¡¯s reprimand brought me back and reminded me that I had a job to do here and many other responsibilities in my life I could not abandon. I instead decided that I would visit this place often and agreed to the dungeon¡¯s strange clothing request as long as he would make more of his divine food for me. After that the dungeon will seemed to leave, though I knew he was likely just watching us from some other part of the dungeon.


    After the meal was over Hanna explained a set of rules that the dungeon apparently made for us to follow, had us touch an orb that stung like taking a novice mages lightning bolt spell right to the palm, and began to take us on a tour of the dungeon. I was impressed by the d¨¦cor of the dungeon as it seemed to surpass even the Tristma grand palace in luxury and beauty, but considering that the dungeon will was capable of creating such amazing food I decided that it was only natural it was capable of creating something this grand and beautiful as well.


    The tour continued and I went about it in a mixed state of awe and respect, when we reached the first real floor of the dungeon and I first saw the vast meadow my breath was taken away. It was a place that could be only described as the gardens of some god or a similar higher being, and after we met with Ralt the talking insect monster that seemed to be associates with Hanna we traveled further into the dungeon and this incredible place. As we toured the floors I found a variety of minor tier herbs with properties ranging from medicinal to magical, showing this dungeon to be an amazing place full of valuable herbs and possibly even more resources.


    The main point of our expedition into this dungeon was for guild master Johana to negotiate with it in the hopes of gaining a contract with it for the explorer¡¯s guild. From all I had seen so far I wanted desperately for that to happen, and I had already decided that even if this dungeon didn¡¯t agree and wasn¡¯t protected by the guild I would help to protect it whenever I visited here simply to preserve Waynor and his ability to create those delicious desserts.


    <hr />


    I looked at were Feris had once again been lured off by a pixie and was in the process of being robbed blind. I had thought that Cecilia would be the only one fooled by these creatures¡¯ illusions and bewitchments, but after her third time encountering them she seemed to learn how to ignore or see through them. Feris on the other hand¡­¡­


    ¡°Oh yeah, come on baby take it ALL off¡­¡­.¡± (Feris)


    ¡­¡­How driven by lust must someone be to fall for such obvious bewitchments EVERY TIME they are used? At this rate we will never get to the sixth floor¡­¡­


    Feris had no problem seeing through the pixies¡¯ illusion magic, but he seemed to fall under every bewitchment that was cast at him. The boy had been lured off by pixies over ten times now, and that was something that was practically unthinkable for a C rank explorer who was WARNED about what these creatures could do in advance.


    I just watched in disgust as a pixie tried to remove one of the boy¡¯s throwing knife belts.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s my turn to go help the kid, huh? I¡¯ll be back in a minute¡­.¡± (Darek)


    ¡°Can we just leave the pervert behind? He¡¯s slowing us down¡­..¡± (Erica)


    I heard guild master Johana sigh and Darek chuckle as he walked to where our party member was blissfully groping air with a blissful expression and having his belongings slowly striped from him. Darek would probably get there before the pixies managed to steal anything, but if Feris kept falling for traps like this he¡¯d probably end up losing something eventually.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that, the way he looks at me is pretty uncomfortable after all¡­.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°He is one of your group, whether you leave him behind or not does not matter to me¡­.¡± (Ralt)


    I heard guild master Johana let out another sigh behind me.


    ¡°Haaaaaahhhhh¡­.. No, we can¡¯t just leave Feris behind Erica, if we did he might just die here from starvation¡­.¡± (Johana)


    ¡­¡­.I wonder if he is actually so deeply bewitched that he actually would die like that? If his will power is so weak he can¡¯t even break a minor bewitchment like that when he¡¯s starving¡­. No, no one is that weak willed¡­¡­ It would take a mid-tiered bewitchment at least for that to be an actual possibility¡­.


    As I watched Darek shoo away the three pixies around Feris and slap the boy¡¯s face until he broke out of the enchantment, I felt ashamed to be in the same party as him.


    ¡­..How can someone like that be ready to advance into the same rank as father?


    As Darek and Feris returned to our group and we began to walk again I stayed as far away from Feris as I reasonably could while still being in the group. As we walked I tried recalling the flavors of the desserts that Waynor made for us and enjoyed the beautiful scenery as best I could while listening to Hanna talk about this place. We managed to walk for about ten minutes before I saw Feris get pulled away by two pixies while he had clouded eyes and a big happy smile on his face. I just rolled my eyes at the stupidity of the boy and walked up behind him, knocked him out with a chop to the back of his head, and brought out more of the magically returning rope I had been using to tie up the boy since the first day I had met him.


    I looked at one of the insect monsters that Hanna called mites.


    ¡°Do you mind if I tie this idiot to your back? If he¡¯s there we won¡¯t have to stop for him any more¡­.¡± (Erica)


    The mite looked to its leader Ralt, and after Ralt made a few clicking noises it lowered itself down so that I could easily move Feris¡¯ unconscious body onto it¡¯s back. As I tied the boy securely to the back of a potentially dangerous monster I had only one thought.


    ¡­.Well at least this solves a few problems¡­.. Now I won¡¯t have to worry about being harassed by this pervert and we don¡¯t have to stop and save him from bewitchment every few minutes¡­¡­


    ¡°Thank you for carrying him. Problem solved¡­.¡± (Erica)


    Dusting off my hands after securing Feris to the mite I began walking back to my place as far away from him as possible while still being in the group and near the rest of my party. We began to move again with the only real change being Darek shaking his head and guild master Johana letting out a heavy and tired sigh.


    This dungeon is so much more enjoyable now¡­.. I really should have done this earlier¡­¡­


    As we walked I felt a small smile form on my face momentarily before it vanished into the emotionless mask that I had developed in my past as an honor guard that over the years had simply become my natural expression. This was going to be a wonderful tour now that the pervert was taken care of and the mites were keeping Cecilia from wondering off and getting herself killed¡­¡­..


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    so that was the chapter....... yes i''m going to be doing more with the mites in the future, but that wont be for a while...... next chapter the explorers meet Loria, and we get Darek, Feris, Johana, and Loria POV''s..... just probably not in that order..... imma start writing it tomorrow but since it''s gonna be long and i''m kinda short on writing time nowadays it probably wont be done by then...... let me know in the comments if you guys would like me to post a sizable chunk of the chapter (one or two whole POV''s if i can manage to finish them) before posting the whole chapter 13 like i did with this chapter......


    and here''s a random question to you fans that i ask purely out of curiosity: "What do you think of Ralt, and what do you think he''ll be in the future?" I myself already have him pretty much planned out, but i''d like to see if any of you were thinking of a similar future for the mighty mite (Puns.... gotta love puns)......


    anyway don''t forget to comment, rate, review, follow, favorite, share, and all that other good stuff i always ask you guys to do at the end of a chapter.....


    [th_0gotas.gif]


    Author out...........

 Chapter 13: The end of the Tour...

    So here it is...... chapter 13 in it''s full entirety..... and all it cost me was my sleep, my recovery from sickness, and my motivation to write E.S. at all this weekend...... YAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!


    yeah i''m so going to need some meds if i;m going to work on chapter 14 at all.......


    to all you following along on my site, i''ll keeping you up to date on whatever is going on and whatnot..... oh and probably post some chapter pieces/teasers because hey, why not?


    once again this isnt edited yet.... but well you all should be used to that by now...... i''ll edit this up sometime later.....


    oh and now reminders: there are all different types of loyalty for dungeon created beings, this IS in fact a dark story for any that forgot, and yeah stuff in this chapter about plot moving forward and stuff.....


    Blah i feel blah........


    Oh, i''m also starting a semi-official group for dark fictions, any interested in that should go here: Scribes of Darkness pitch.....</a>


    anyway here be the chapter yes..........


    ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!


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    Darek


    <hr />


    As I watched Erica knock Feris unconscious for the fourth time since she tied him to the back of one of these insect creatures I turned to guild master Johana. Johana seemed to be cautiously suspicious of this dungeon and everything that was in it, and honestly I was beginning to think that her suspicions were justified. My conversation with the monster called Ralt reminded me just what sort of place was and what sort of things normally lived in it, this was a dungeon and no matter how nice this one may seem dungeon¡¯s weren¡¯t places for people to live.


    I had been through many dungeons in my career as an explorer, and the only times people lived inside any of them was when they were being farmed by the dungeon. I had grown fond of Miss Hanna, the girl reminded me of my own daughter even if they were utterly different in almost every way. There was no way I would allow this girl to end up like some of the people I¡¯d seen in dungeon animus farms, I would destroy this dungeon¡¯s core before I let that happen and if the monster Ralt thought he could stop then I would destroy him too.


    But at least for now Miss Hanna doesn¡¯t appear to be being abused or held against her will here, she even seems happy to be in this dungeon¡­ And the Dungeon will, Waynor, seems to be kind¡­ Hopefully things won¡¯t have to come to my taking on this dungeon and Waynor turns out to be as kind and innocent as he seems, I would hate to have to go against the guild again¡­


    Making eye contact with guild master Johana, I leaned in and resumed our whispered conversation.


    ¡°Are you sure we really can¡¯t just take Hanna with us when we leave? Are we really just going to leave the girl in a dungeon like this?¡± (Darek)


    ¡°I told you Darek, we¡¯re here to negotiate with this dungeon and nothing else. We aren¡¯t here on some rescue mission for just one girl, and we certainly aren¡¯t here to pick a fight where there doesn¡¯t need to be one.¡± (Johana)


    ¡°I understand that guild master, but if this dungeon is using people for animus farming then we should stop it and try to help and free the people it¡¯s using. That¡¯s part of our job as explorers isn¡¯t it, or has that suddenly changed here guild master?¡± (Darek)


    She pulled me even closer showing that she more than had the physical strength to be an A rank regardless of her thin and smallish frame. The look in the guild master¡¯s eyes was so cold and hard I thought for a moment that she might actually be planning to kill me right here for a moment and had my hand stray towards the hilt of my axe.


    ¡°Now let me be very clear since you don¡¯t seem to be getting this explorer. We won¡¯t intentionally do anything here that could in any way compromise negotiations with this dungeon unless we are in serious mortal danger. The sheer level of potential loss of resources and opportunities for the guild our doing so and having negotiations break down could cause is beyond imagining, and I¡¯m sure the guild¡¯s first move would be to see if offering this dungeon our heads on a silver platter would lead it to reopening negotiations. Even if this dungeon, if Waynor, is really using people for animus farming here we are going to smile, ignore it, be polite, and play nice until the time that we have secured a contract and return to the guild. After that you can do whatever the fuck it is you want and it won¡¯t be my problem or my ass potentially on the line, but until then you keep acting like the polite guest you are here and forget any notions that could be detrimental to our goal here. Is that clear enough for you, Darek?¡± (Johana)


    I felt my heart almost stop a few times while she was speaking, a threat from someone on the level of Johana was nothing to take lightly at all and the implication of the guild itself getting involved was absolutely terrifying. I had crossed the guild on quite a few occasions, but never on something that stood to gain them so much potential profit. Only the suicidal or the truly foolish would ever do something like that.


    I looked away unable to meet the woman¡¯s hard gaze holding its grim promises anymore, I knew that this mission was important before but I never would have thought it would be so important that it could cause the normally lax guild master Johana to act like this. I had no doubt that she was prepared to kill any of us if we stepped out of line and tried something that could jeopardize the goal of this mission, something that taking Hanna with us when we left would certainly constitute as.


    ¡°...Yes I understand guild master¡­ I don¡¯t like it, but I understand.¡± (Darek)


    The woman let go of her hold on my breastplate and moved her face further away to a normal speaking distance.


    ¡°Good, then you should forget whatever crazy shit you might¡¯ve been planning until now. At the very least save all of that for until after we¡¯re all safely back in Vel¡¯Aria and the party disbands, that way you won¡¯t bring the rest of us down with you as you try taking on the guild for a girl you hardly know and seems perfectly happy enough here as is¡­¡± (Johana)


    I just nodded and moved a bit away from the woman. I had mistakenly assumed that we were on the same side while we were on this mission, but she was clearly here for her own reasons and whatever those reasons were they meant she would be doing her utmost to secure a contract with this dungeon for the guild. Johana might even be willing to offer up the rest of the party as sacrifices if she thinks that¡¯ll secure a contract between Waynor and the guild.


    I had assumed that all the threats and dangers would be coming from the dungeon and its monsters, but it seems like this mission also has some danger within the party itself¡­ things might end up taking a bad turn if I have to end up fighting Johana, I don''t think I could win that fight on my own¡­


    As we walked and Miss Hanna announced that we had entered the tenth and final floor we¡¯d be touring, I had made my final decision. No matter what happened in this place I would be returning home to my family, and I would be returning to this dungeon in the near future. That return could either be to conquer it and free the people Waynor holds here, or to take my little Cassidy on her first dungeon expedition in a friendly and relatively safe place.


    It¡¯ll all depend on how Miss Hanna answers a single question¡­... I¡¯ll ask her after Johana is done with her negotiations, that way I won''t risk making her my enemy¡­...


    I looked up to see us walk into yet another paradise like meadow that stretched off into the distance as we stepped of the misty bridge.


    ¡°And here we¡¯ll get to meet with my Friend Loria, I¡¯m sure all of you will enjoy that¡­.. Actually now that I think of it, maybe Feris should stay unconscious for this next part too, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d try something with Loria that he shouldn¡¯t¡­..¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that¡­..¡± (Erica)


    I looked over to see Erica walk over to once again hit Feris over the head with the hilt of her sword. She had such amazing control, using just enough force to knock him out but not do any real permanent damage to the kid.


    I shook my head and hoped that my helmet hid the look in my eyes at that moment, I didn¡¯t want anyone to see the worry in them. If the only ones on guard here were the guild master and I, and I wasn¡¯t sure Johana could even be trusted¡­


    This mission is going to be a lot more tense than I first thought it would be¡­¡­¡­¡­...


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    Loria


    <hr />


    I felt when they entered my floor, the group of explorers, Ralt and his battle-kin, and my friend Hanna. I felt it clearly when they each took the first step onto my floor, I even saw a glimpse of the group as they entered. This unique sense was due to my status as a boss tied to a floor, but even knowing this it was strange having it trigger for the first time.


    I guess it only works when someone enters the floor normally since it never activated when Hanna was ported to this floor¡­ Something for me to consider further I guess¡­


    This was an important day for many different reasons. For my lord Waynor today would be a day he could learn and interact with some races of people from the outside world besides Hanna, for Instinct it was a day full of risk and possibilities, for Hanna it was a day to meet others of her kind and interact with them for the first time in quite some time, for Ralt it was another mission his master gave him to complete, and for me it was the best chance I would have of seeing my plan done without losing a treasured friend.


    And for Ulisus it would be the day where his fate is decided, and his life begins to come to an end¡­


    There had been one thing that had bothered me since I was born, it was Hanna¡¯s brother Ulisus. Most of the time I couldn¡¯t pick up on his thoughts in his unconscious and sealed state, but those few times that I could I was unnerved by what I found in the human. Ulisus was clearly a human supremacist and was overly cruel to the elven and what I understood as beastkin slaves, he would also react violently to things he didn¡¯t understand. With him being so close to my lord¡¯s core and with the assumption being that Waynor would allow him to live in this dungeon, this was an extremely dangerous mentality. Unfortunately he was also resolute of will and I couldn¡¯t do anything to alter or change that mindset of his, it seemed to be part of his fundamental beliefs about the world.


    To Ulisus there were humans, then there were the dwarves and elves below humans, and everything else was either something to be enslaved or destroyed. Ulisus also seemed to have the power, and more importantly given the current situation the opportunity, to do just those two things in my lord¡¯s dungeon. Sure to enslave the inhabitants it would take immense power as well as skill and enslaving named creatures like myself would only be possible after Waynor¡¯s death, but I felt that Ulisus had both the necessary power and skill to do so. And most terrifying of all he had the capacity inside of himself to kill my lord Waynor without any remorse or confliction, in fact when he discovered what his sister¡¯s relationship was to my lord he would likely do just that.


    I could not allow that to happen. I would NOT allow that to happen.


    The solution to this problem is very simple, I knew shortly after I had received my name from Lord Waynor that Ulisus would have to die. The only question was how this would happen, I of course didn¡¯t want to purposely lose my friendship with Hanna and I¡¯m sure my killing her brother would see to that and much more. Then there was of course the reaction of my lord to consider as well.


    Waynor is largely innocent and naive so he probably wouldn¡¯t have even considered the possibility of Ulisus being a threat, and while I know for a fact Instinct has she did what she always did. She held her concerns so that they would not conflict with Waynor¡¯s desires, it was her purpose to see those desires met after all and it is neither of our places to inform Waynor of something he has not asked of us or to contradict him. This simple fact binds Instinct more than any other in the dungeon, and while others may bend this rule at times she never may.


    Which is why if I cannot warn him of the danger then I will simply remove it¡­ Waynor probably wouldn''t have understood the true threat posed anyway, Hanna¡¯s memories of her brother would have clouded his view of the situation¡­


    That was one positive aspect to the boy Ulisus, he was a great human. He genuinely loved and cared for his family, he looked out for his fellow humans, and he was largely kind and forgiving if you shared his same race. Unfortunately that means nothing here as my lord is not one the humans he cherishes so much, which is why his living in this dungeon would never work. He has already proven his mind set will never change, if it were at all possible I could have started the process already. Instead the majority of his mind is nothing more than fixed concepts and ideals.


    And thus he must die¡­ And luckily these explorers provide the perfect way for that to happen without it complicating things between any of us in this dungeon and Hanna. It might even serve to enforce the lesson Lord Waynor has learned but does not seem to believe, that the seven races are a dangerous and traitorous collection of people¡­


    I knew that my plan was borderline traitorous to my lord, but I was willing to go through with it even knowing that. To me my lord¡¯s safety and continued survival were what mattered most of all, after those things were secured then my priorities would shift to his desires and will. I was even willing to sacrifice my lord¡¯s trust and Hanna¡¯s friendship if need be, and if Waynor were to ever ask of my involvement after Ulisus¡¯ death then I would gladly tell him everything.


    But until then, until he was safe this plan would remain secret from him.


    Perhaps Instinct can know of it, I¡¯m sure she would support me in this even if she detests me. We both care for the same being, and women in love will always do whatever it takes to protect their love¡­ Even if that means some deceptions must be made¡­ I¡¯ll likely need her help for this to work anyway, Waynor will listen to her far more than he would me¡­


    I left my small mansion house that Waynor created to be my home on this floor, it was large, beautiful, and impeccably clean as all of his creations were. I loved it, but it was not often that I used it as I far preferred being in Lord Waynor¡¯s presence to being there.


    That won¡¯t be possible much longer though¡­ With these explorers and Lord Waynor¡¯s desires, soon there will be countless invaders that I must deal with. I won¡¯t have the time to be with my lord that I did before¡­


    Shaking my head to rid myself of that unpleasant thought, I walked out to stand before the massive double doorway standing in the middle of a cordoned off garden that dwarfed even the vast beauty of the rest of this level. The doorway seemed to connect to nothing, but it was in fact the passage to the next floor a resting floor that my lord was personally improving every day. It was decorated with intricate images of pixies, flowers, sweeping vines, tall majestic trees, the flowing wisps, and in the center to immaculate maidens that were mirrored on both of the doors. The doorway itself was a work of art that was beyond compare, and it was tied to my very being in one of the most intimate of ways. It would allow only those that either I or our mutual lord and master allowed to pass, and though it would open automatically at my death it would also automatically shut after an hour and remain closed until either I returned to life or a new boss replaced me.


    As I admired the doorway that was as much a part of me as my arm, I waited for the explorers, my friend, and my fellow comrades to reach this place. Here I would test them as if they wished to gain passage to the next floor, and it would be here where I determined the most important part of my plan.


    I wonder which one it will be that shall prove to be my weapon? In the end I guess it doesn¡¯t matter, just so long as I can use them¡­


    <hr />


    ¡°And this is the end of the floor, the garden of Loria¡­¡± (Hanna)


    I looked up from my appreciation of the wonderful flower garden my lord created specifically for me, he said that when I stood amongst the flowers of this garden my natural beauty was enhanced even more by their complimenting petals flowing in the breeze. It was an honest compliment that had made me both warm inside and rather damp in other places.


    The explorers were much like I had seen before in the image that came to me when they entered my floor. A half elf woman, an elf girl, a silver haired woman, a man in full armor, and a red haired boy tied to one of Ralt¡¯s battle-kin.


    ¡°This is my friend, Loria. She is the one who is in charge of this level of the dungeon and determines if someone can pass through to the next floor.¡± (Hanna)


    It took only a moment to do a cursory sweep of their minds which only the elf and silver haired woman blocked, and only the elf herself seemed aware of it from the icy look she gave me for a moment. The look lasted only a moment however, as the look soon melted into open awe and desire. Her mental defenses even fell for a moment and I could sense thoughts from her that overshadowed all the others for a time.


    By the gods she is perfect¡­ I would give damn near anything just for a night with her¡­ Maybe I could cut a deal with the Dungeon¡­? NO! Down girl, remember the mission! Make a contract with the dungeon, hopefully get demoted, and go back to exploring¡­ Then AFTERWARDS I can try bedding this goddess for what¡¯ll probably be the best night of my life¡­ (Johana)


    It was interesting to see how these people reacted, something that was easy to observe since they all paused as they saw me. I knew that I was designed to entice humans and hopefully the other six races as well, and I already knew from Hanna that I was immensely sexually attractive to humans something that had confused the poor girl the entire first day we met. The reactions of these explorers just further confirmed that fact and proved that my appearance had the intended effect on elves as well.


    The silver haired woman, Erica I sensed her name was, had momentary intense desire for me before she quelled said desire with discipline and cold rationality something she has apparently trained for. The man named Darek was the same, only he quelled his desire with thoughts of his wife and child though that did not change the reaction his body had to seeing me. The young elf woman, Cecilia, was half drunk on the nature and presence of this place already and my appearance and her desires after seeing me just seemed to push her over the edge and the girl simply lost herself in fantasy where she stood with a happy smile. The Johana woman was obviously lusting after me, and that lust only seemed to grow even as she overcame the mental and magical influence my presence carried.


    And then there was the boy who awoke at the touch of my powers, and who was utterly stunned by me in every way. His eyes didn''t even blink while he stared with open affection at me, but his mind was flooded with images of someone entirely different. His reactions went beyond lust and encroached on love, something that my powers and appearance were not intended to cause.


    Hanna walked up to me in front of the dazed and shocked explorers.


    ¡°Hey Loria! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s supposed to handle this next part, so I¡¯m going to wait at your place while you do your thing. Call me when you¡¯re done ok, then I¡¯ll take over again for the negotiations¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Hello Hanna, Waynor informed me that he has decided to join you and observe the negotiations¡­¡± (Loria)


    I felt her emotions go from joy and affection, to confusion, to finally annoyance and stubborn defiance of her own feelings. It was a common reaction my friend whenever I brought up my lord¡¯s name.


    ¡°...Fine I guess if that¡¯s what Waynor wants to do there¡¯s nothing anyone can do about it. I just hope he remembers that he promised I would be the one to handle negotiations, if he does it I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll end up agreeing to a lousy deal¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Waynor will uphold his promise, he probably just wants to watch. He has been fascinated with the seven races for a while now after all.¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Yeah you¡¯re right, let me snap these people out of the trance you put them into, then I¡¯m going to take a nice little rest. You still have that energy restoring tea right?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°On the counter where it always is¡­¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Thanks Loria, you¡¯re a lifesaver as always!¡± (Hanna)


    As I watched my friend walk back to the explorers blissfully unaware of what I planned to do and how much it would hurt her, I felt horrible guilt. Hanna was in a fragile state already, she was only maintaining her own sanity in a complex mix of hope, denial, and the sheer flexibility of her mind¡¯s ability to adapt and accept things. Once her brother was dead that hope would fall away, and with it her primary support mechanism for her fragile sanity. When Ulisus died it would utterly break this girl, and what was worse is that I planned for that to happen. After all if Hanna was emotionally and mentally broken like that, she would happily cast aside her lingering humanity and would be all too willing to let Waynor implant a core in her and convert her into something other than human.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    I had wondered many times if planning for this to happen to my friend made me evil, it had haunted me for weeks before I realized something. I realized that humans simply did not live forever, and that I would gladly be evil if it meant I could both protect my lord and ensure my friend lived for as long as Waynor so wished her to. For me the knowledge of my own evil was a small price to pay for those two things.


    I was brought out of my thoughts by the familiar presence that appeared next to me.


    ¡°Hello once again Loria.¡± (Ralt)


    I returned the mite¡¯s respectful head nod and greeting.


    ¡°Ralt, it is nice to see you once again as well. How goes your newest mites'' training under the careful guidance of your nurturing hands?¡± (Loria)


    The Mite chuckled, a sound that was a mix of chirping and squeaking to my ears.


    ¡°As clever as always I see... Their training is progressing well enough, but I¡¯d like them all to evolve before long and after that I can get to the real training¡­¡± (Ralt)


    ¡°Oh?¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Yes, I plan to have them renounce their hives.¡± (Ralt)


    I was impressed, for a mite to renounce their hive it would take something of immense importance and weight. The only way I could see it happening is if Lord Waynor asked for it, but Ralt seemed confident he could pull this feat off.


    ¡°I wish you luck then, my you honor your kin and bring glory to our lord and master¡­¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Thank you, and my you bring honor and glory to our lord and master as well¡­¡± (Ralt)


    I watched as the warrior mite left my side to rejoin his battle-kin and Hanna as she explained that she would be leaving for a while and that I would be testing them in the meantime. It was getting through to only a few of them however, the elf and boy being untied from the mite didn''t seem to even register Hanna¡¯s presence let alone what she was saying.


    As I watched my friend finish her explanations and begin walking towards my home, I faced the explorers and gave them a friendly and kind smile. It was an expression Hanna described as angelic and pure, but was as false and easy for me to wear as a mask.


    ¡°Welcome to my garden, I am Loria the guardian of this level. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance brave explorers.¡± (Loria)


    I gave a courteous half bow and curtsy, all the will reading all I could sense from these fives minds.


    ¡°I will be giving each one of you an individual trial to determine if you are worthy of moving on to the next floor, something that you won¡¯t actually be able to do today unfortunately but none the less please do attempt my trials¡­¡± (Loria)


    There were nods and mumbles of assent, but it seemed that none of them were capable of properly speaking to me yet. In the case of Darek, the man couldn¡¯t even seem to look at me. I decided to start with him first.


    ¡°Sir Darek if you would please step forward we can begin¡­¡± (Loria)


    The man seemed nervous, but had stepped forward before he had even realized it himself nonetheless. It seemed that my powers worked on him even if he was doing his best not to be affected by me or my appearance. The poor man didn¡¯t realize that though my appearance itself is a sort of weapon, it is merely the least of my weapons paling in comparison to my actual powers. I don¡¯t think any of them besides the half elf, Johana, had even an inkling of what I was actually capable of.


    ¡°W-W-W-What is this trial, miss?¡± (Darek)


    I smiled.


    ¡°Oh, the trial is different for everyone, and it will reveal much about who you are¡­¡± (Loria)


    I inwardly delighted at how cryptic my answer was, and how it only seemed to confuse the man more. Even though he was confused the man didn¡¯t ask any more questions, something I was grateful for as I didn¡¯t feel the need to answer him any further.


    As I read him, I called upon the magic that my lord gave me from birth. Magic, I understood from Hanna and the minds of these people, was an immensely difficult art that for most required years of training and study to even put into practice. For creatures and monsters however this was not the case, we instinctively understood how to wield any and all magic they might possess, a phenomenon that could only be replicated in the seven races with the aid of special spell vessels. As just such a creature, and more so one created by a dungeon, I understood my powers and magic fully from my first moments in this world and required no spell words or intense focus to use them.


    As such I didn¡¯t move or speak as the mist swept Darek into a small illusionary world, I just had to will it to happen and so it did.


    This man, Darek, he was a simple person with simple goals and simple desires. He was a relatively kind and accepting man, but he felt that monsters and such things were inherently evil because of the things he has seen them do in his past. His thoughts on opposing my lord however, were not things I would overlook or allow to pass unpunished. In the end I decided that his illusion would show him two scenarios that I knew would affect him drastically, one would bring him the greatest joy and the other the deepest despair.


    I crafted his first illusionary world, one that I knew would bring him the greatest joy. The man watched as he lead his family to through this dungeon¡¯s first level, as he had another child and his daughter grew into a great magical warrior with the experience she gained from her repeated journeys into this dungeon. He watched as he grew to A rank and finally retired with his loving wife and his two children grew into fine explorers in their own right. He watched as he settled into the town that formed around this dungeon, the same town his children lived in. He watched as he picked up his first grandchild and played with the boy, he watched as his grandchild waved around a wooden axe and pretended to be a mighty explorer himself. He watched as he passed away peacefully in his sleep at a ripe old age content with the life he had lived and the legacy he had left.


    As the first world faded away, I began crafting the second, the world that would serve as both his punishment and his sole warning. The man watched as he returned to this dungeon and challenged it in an attempt to save Hanna, he watched as he conquered the dungeon and Hanna cursed him as evil and a monster. He watched as he killed her for her words, and returned home a lesser man. He watched as he descended to an alcoholic who neglected his family in favor of the drink, watched as he abused them the few times he was actually at home. He watched as his wife turned to another man for comfort, watched as his daughter grew to hate him for who he had become. He watched as he strangled the life out of his true love¡¯s body under the horrified gaze of his child. He watched as he beat that same child and screamed at the girl that she never had a mother in the first place before leaving the house forever. He watched as he turned to banditry to support his drinking habit, a habit that had quickly become an addiction he needed to forget. He watched as he visited a brothel in the same city he once lived in only to find his daughter was the star whore. He watched as that same daughter recognized him, then watched as he violently took his daughter heedless of her pleading and screaming for him to stop. Then he watched as that daughter slit his throat with his own dagger in the night before plunging that same weapon into her own heart with a broken smile.


    I let the illusionary world collapse away as Darek stood still looking forward unblinking and trembling in his armor. When I approached the man, he no longer had trouble looking upon me or speaking to me.


    ¡°W-What was t-that?¡± (Darek)


    I smiled at the terrified man before me, he was undoubtedly stronger than me and perhaps with assistance he could have even destroyed my lord as he was considering. Now though, that possibility was all but gone.


    ¡°Two of the paths that are before you, in the end it is up to you which one you choose to follow¡­¡± (Loria)


    A lie, they were both merely illusions of my own design based off his own mind and memories, but they were also still possibilities that were made based off him so I suppose there was some truth to both illusions. In fact I made sure there was by design as every deception is made easier to believe when colored with bits of truth, even if those truths are the awful truths one would rather not face.


    ¡°How do I avoid the second path!?!? Please tell me!¡± (Darek)


    I once again smiled at the man as I moved away to the next explorer. As I moved past where he stood I whispered softly enough that none but the half elf and Darek heard me.


    ¡°I believe I already showed you that, didn¡¯t I? Perhaps you should give your trial some thought and consider some self-reflection before it becomes too late¡­¡± (Loria)


    I felt the fear turn into resolution in the man, gone were his thoughts of conquering this dungeon or harming my lord. My work with him was done.


    As I approached the silver haired maiden, the one I soon discovered my lord had taken interest enough in to offer to let her live in his dungeon, I considered what trial would appropriate for her. Obviously I would give her something to consider, and I think that the offer my master made deserves some further positive enforcement in her mind¡­¡­..


    <hr />


    It can take anywhere from a mere few seconds to hours for someone to experience my illusionary world and go through my trial. In that time one can watch entire lifetimes pass, countless decades of experiences being seen in mere moments. The illusionary world was my greatest magic, not my strongest nor my most versatile but it is the single most impactful thing I can do to another even if I cannot read or influence their minds. I had even considered using it on Ulisus, but ultimately it would change very little about him other than making him more careful when he deals with non-humans thus making him essentially more dangerous.


    I knew this because I have already tried using it on him since under the right conditions I don¡¯t need someone to be conscious to send their minds to an illusionary world. The results were dreadful and required an entire week to lessen, and even with that Ulisus still posed more danger than he did initially. In the end the only way available to me was to end his life, that was the best option for everyone long-term.


    I looked over the people that I had given trials to. Erica who saw a future where her entire family relocated to this dungeon and lived happily under my lord¡¯s protection from any threats. Cecilia who saw multiple visions all featuring either nature, spreading tales of her adventures as an explorer, or some mix of both. Darek who saw two futures that could possibly become reality. And lastly Johana who I had some trouble with until I decided to just make countless illusions catering to her lust over me and how certain concessions in negotiations may cause them to come true, utterly false unless my lord wishes it but I could read nothing else from the woman¡¯s mind and thus used what little I did know.


    And now I looked at the boy known as Feris the Quick, the boy who had so little mental defenses that I could glean his entire life from a casual read. The boy who used humor, lechery, and flirtation to mask the deeply depressed individual he truly was inside. The broken little thief who was desperately trying to fulfill the hopes and dreams of two people in just one lifetime.


    He was the one who would be my weapon, the one who would kill Ulisus and remove the current greatest threat to my lord. All I had to do was give the boy, give Feris the Quick one last nudge to utterly shatter the fragile and thin reasoning that kept the poor broken thing he was living on. It would be easy since he saw her whenever he looked at me, and he would do anything for her.


    After all he already fully believed that he failed her once.


    I knew exactly what his trial would be, and it would be extremely cruel. Perhaps it would even be evil. That was fine, I had already made peace with myself being an evil monster. This would just confirm what I already accepted as true.


    This boy¡¯s trial would be to relive his past, with one simple alteration.


    I began crafting his illusionary world, and observed the boy as he began to tremble at the familiar city he now saw. The boy watched as he awoke with blood dripping into his eyes as a new member of a gang of thieves alongside his best friend. He watched as he earned the name Feris the Quick and she earned the name Nora the Quiet. He watched as they became the best pickpockets in all of the city. He watched as they grew closer and closer by the day overcoming countless dangers by each other¡¯s side. He watched as they grew and shared their dreams with each other. He watched as he told her off his dreams of riches and a harem of beautiful women. He watched as she told him of her dreams of adventure and exploration. He watched as they promised to see each other¡¯s dreams come true and to remain friends through it all with their pinkie fingers interlocked. He watched as they grew bolder and bolder by the day in pursuit of those dreams. He watched as they were caught robbing one of the wealthier nobles of the city. He watched as the noble and his guards raped his best friend in front of his eyes as he was forced to watch from the hold of cold iron manacles. He watched as Nora spoke her last words and told him to make his dreams come true. He watched as he swore that hers would come true as well. He watched as the life drained slowly from the girl¡¯s eyes as the days went by. He watched as she became less and less Nora the Quiet and more and more a lifeless doll of flesh. He watched as one day she just stopped responding to him completely. He watched as the next day she stopped breathing while being taken by one of the guards. He watched as they continued to use her long after she had died. He watched as his fellow thieves finally came for him and killed his captors. He watched as he cradled the body of the girl he never realized he loved until she was gone forever. He watched as he cried and made countless promises to the corpse that could never come true now. He watched as his fellow thieves tried to pry him away and convince him of the truth until they finally just took him and the body away together. He watched as he stayed with the body for days talking to it as if the girl could still hear him. He watched as finally some small piece of sanity returned to him from what his fellow thieves and friends said to him. He watched as he mourned and swore to live for both of them from that moment on and see both their dreams come true. He watched as he left that same day to bury the girl¡¯s body and join the explorer¡¯s guild. He watched as he obsessively trained, improved, and climbed up the ranks. He watched as he constructed the fragile mask that became his shield so that none could see how broken he was. He watched as he purposefully pushed women away with his acting knowing that none could replace what he had lost or fill the emptiness inside him. He watched as he accepted the mission that he was promised would promote him further in rank to rank B. He watched as he traveled with this new party and did all the things he normally did to distract them from his emptiness. He watched as he came to a place he wished that Nora was still with him to see. He watched as he came to meet a woman who made some small part of that broken emptiness inside him better. He watched as he meet that woman over and over until he was finally knocked out and tied to one of the mites. He watched as he came to meet me and the emptiness lessened to the greatest degree it ever had before and he saw Nora again in my place.


    And then I had that vision of Nora speak to him. I had it tell him how he hadn¡¯t fulfilled her dream yet. How she had always wanted to explore and grow stronger so that she could find someone and kill him. I had her beg him to at least try to fulfill her dreams, to fulfill their promises and to honor his oaths to her. I had her say that what he was doing wasn¡¯t what she had wanted at all, that what he was doing was all wrong.


    It broke him.


    He cried. His mind collapsed. He couldn¡¯t stand what I was showing him. It destroyed him and the fragile mask he had made in an attempt to at least appear normal. The few things that made him go on living were stripped from him, and all he craved now was death in the hopes he might see the one he loved again.


    I forced his fragile mind back by making the phantom of his past embrace him and wipe away his tears. I had her tell him what he could do to make it all better. I had her show him what his target looked like and where he could soon find him. I had her tell him that his target had to die for her dreams to ever be fulfilled. I had her tell him that this all had to be a secret between them, their last secret with each other. I had her make him promise her, swear it to her on her own name.


    He did. He swore to it all and meant it with all his broken heart and soul.


    As a final act to ensure he would do this act, I did something incredibly cruel. I had the phantom of his past tell him that she loved him. That every time he brought up making a harem for himself in the past she felt jealous. I had her say that she wanted him to desire her and her alone. And then I had her make love to him.


    It broke what little part of his mind that was reasoning that none of this was real, that it couldn''t be. With that one act I had plunged this boy deeper into insanity than most would ever reach.


    He couldn''t distinguish the phantom as an illusion anymore, I didn¡¯t even need to maintain the illusion now. His own mind would do that for me now, utterly convinced that she was real and here now by some miraculous turn of fate.


    I let the illusionary world fall away and watched as the broken boy fell to the ground unconscious. He was my weapon now, a pawn that would throw it¡¯s life away so that I could protect those important to me and not have to sacrifice so much by doing so myself.


    I knew now that I was a coward in many ways, I understood I was now what my friend and these people would call an evil monster. I accepted all this and did not let my inner turmoil show on my face.


    It¡¯s all for the best¡­ for Waynor¡¯s safety, for Hanna¡¯s eternal life, for the good of my lord, master, and creator¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter if I must become something evil or cruel¡­ It never mattered if I was good or evil, only that I fulfilled my duty and purpose¡­


    ¡°Poor Feris, it seems the trial was a bit too much for him and tired him out¡­¡± (Loria)


    I looked up from the boy I had destroyed in ways that stripped him of any possibilities he ever had at a future. I looked the half elf woman, Johana, the person I know was now the most suspicious of the dungeon and my lord, and I smiled at her while licking my lips seductively. When the woman blushed heavily and looked away I knew that I had nothing to worry about anymore, any suspicion that might have been cast on me had been addressed and torn away with that single look.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go inform Hanna that you all have passed the trial and that she should rejoin you so that you all may port back to the entrance together. I do hope you enjoyed meeting me as much as I did you¡­¡± (Loria)


    Johana nodded her head frantically before realizing what she was doing and twirling her hair shyly and turning away.


    ¡°I can''t speak for the rest of my party but I certainly did. It was a true¡­ Pleasure¡­ to meet you Loria, in fact I think the pleasure was all mine¡­¡± (Johana)


    I gave one last smile to the woman before I began walking towards my home. As I walked I looked at the elf hugging the ground and whispering to it, the silver haired woman who was looking around as if she was trying to pick the best place for a house to be built here, and the armored man who sat in deep contemplation that bordered on meditation. I considered that I might need to scale down my trials for future invaders, but for today I was proud of my work.


    All that was left now was to inform my friend that I was done, wait for my lord to port them back to the entrance, and to talk to Instinct while both Hanna and Lord Waynor are busy and distracted. As I approached the door into my home I hoped that my smile seemed as genuine as always, Hanna was smart enough and close enough to me to notice if something was off with my expression. As I opened the door I thought one last time of what I had set into motion today.


    ¡­¡­.Now I need only set up the right conditions and wait¡­.. My new weapon will do the rest, even if it kills him¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­...


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    and that''s the chapter.......


    I bet none of you were expecting that little twist, but hey now you can guess what Hanna is going to end up becoming.... or you know, use my website to make suggestions because the idea i have right now is kinda lame.... I blame illness........


    Oh and do feel free to comment about who you think turned out to be the worst person in this chapter: Ulisus the racist, Loria the saboteur Semi-traitor (In her mind at least......),  Darek the hypocrite, or Erica who basically tortured Feris their whole journey (in her defense how would she know he was acting?)....... cast your vote in the comments below....


    next chapter we get to the negotiations.... finally...... then stuff happens..... and then more stuff... and i really need to make that D.I. outline soon......


    anyway i''m done for today, someone comment quick so i can put my OCD to rest and get some sleep... it''s like 4am for me.....


    Author out.....

 Side Story, Instinct: Of muses and man......

    soooooo Yeah, this is just a quick thing that i was going to leave tacked on to chapter 14, but it seemed to important for that...... so here you go, a side story that answers a lot of questions you probably had after reading last chapter..... then again it might just add some new questions for you.......


    Now since i got tests and stuff for the next 12 days, I''m not going to be able to write all that much..... Also i''m going to be working on my current side project because that''s currently coming out pretty fucking awesome in my opinion, plus i can write that inbetween all my studying in bits and pieces (I prefer writing D.I.''s chapters all in one go.....)... anyway if your interested in a Dark (I think it might be my darkest story so far....) story with a tamer MC, check that out here: Oathbound Icon</a>....


    now on to the chapter.... which i will maybe edit later.... depends on if i can remember to.... or if anyone finds any serious errors.....


    ENJOY!!!!


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    Instinct


    <hr />


    Waynor had left not long ago to port the ¡°Guests¡± back to the entrance and watch over the negotiations between them and Hanna, Unfortunately with his leaving someone else came here. Someone that I was not particularly fond of and now had more than a few questions for.


    I watched as Loria began walking directly up to where my and Waynor¡¯s cores were, she wouldn¡¯t be getting any closer than that.


    ¡°You can stop there, Loria. All mites, please see to other duties and leave us in private, there is something that must be discussed between us that is not for you all to hear¡­¡± (Instinct)


    I watched as the various mites working in the room began to leave, even the ones that were hidden and acting as secret guards for Waynor and my cores. There was no need for them, and if what I suspected about this Loria that Waynor created was correct then it was best they weren¡¯t here. Besides judging by what she had displayed with the ¡°Guests¡± she probably knew where each and every mite was and what they were thinking, there could be no advantage to keeping them here for this.


    ¡°Hello again Instinct, it seems you have something you¡¯d like to discuss with me as well?¡± (Loria)


    As the last mite left and the door to the core room was shut and sealed from the outside I looked at this creation Waynor made, at the thing he named Loria. If she was not going to play games anymore and avoid acknowledging what she was capable of than neither would I.


    ¡°What actually are you?¡± (Instinct)


    The creation smiled at me, it was beyond irritating how beautiful Waynor had made her appearance.


    ¡°I¡¯m simply the Lord Waynor¡¯s first muse, the one he gave the gift of the name Loria.¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me Loria, I may not have the authority to strip the soul Waynor made for you from existence, but I can kill you easily enough. I know for a fact you¡¯re far beyond a muse, you¡¯ve displayed power that dwarfs what Waynor designed the muses to have. Now answer my question loria. What. Are. You?¡± (Instinct)


    The smile fell from her face, and instead a look of determined seriousness took its place. She had probably noticed by now, she might not be able to sense anything from me or Waynor as we were beings far beyond her power but I couldn¡¯t mask their presence anymore.


    ¡°So you made a few creations of your own, does Waynor know?¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Of course, he allows me to do whatever I so please with a set amount of his power whenever I so choose. He knows all about these two, he just doesn¡¯t know how different you are from them¡­¡± (Instinct)


    At my words my two creations stepped away from where they had been hidden behind columns leading up to the pedestal holding Waynor and my cores. Loria looked over them both with some level of curiosity, but soon seemed to dismiss them entirely.


    ¡°So you made muses, an interesting choice. I was under the impression you weren¡¯t very fond of me or my kind¡­¡± (Loria)


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just not particularly fond of you, and I doubt these two are anything near being whatever your kind is now. When was it that you planned to actually evolve, with all the power you¡¯ve been saving up a normal muse would¡¯ve been able to evolve long ago then evolve twice more times over¡­¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°Ah, well I thought it best if I followed my own path instead of evolving randomly. Lord Waynor encouraged me and allowed this when I refused his offer of evolution the first time, didn¡¯t you know this?¡± (Loria)


    I was in fact aware of the agreement about her evolution with Waynor, he was more than accepting of it in fact he thought it was interesting how she wanted to handle things. Ever since he seemed to stop even monitoring how much power she had accumulated, and now that I checked it was a ridiculous amount for just one rank 5 monster to have. It was at the level of a weak rank 8, maybe even enough to evolve her straight into something at rank 7 in one go.


    ¡°Yes, but this is an entirely different matter. With all that power inside you, you aren¡¯t even a muse anymore you¡¯re something else entirely and that makes you dangerous. So tell me Loria, what exactly are you? What is it you are planning to become?¡± (Instinct)


    She just looked at me, her expression had become a flat emotionless mask.


    ¡°I am what I¡¯ve always been since I first met Lord Waynor, his devoted servant. I merely plan to become a more capable servant for him, that is-¡­¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Oh, and what servant requires so much power? You know I figured out why you were always felt so off to me after you were named because of these two, did you know it only takes 600 points of animus to make a named muse? How much did Waynor use on you? How much did you accept and use to enhance your own powers? 1,000? 10,000? And he used mana as well, so of course you would be different. Once he named you, you were able to use the access power to make yourself into something far beyond a normal muse.¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°And you see that as a problem?¡± (Loria)


    I glared at the muse and did something I never would have done if Waynor was around here to see, I manifested my will-body. I manifested it right in front of her, close enough that if I were solid and to lean forward even slightly our noses would touch.


    ¡°Yes, I very much do... Do you have any idea what normal dungeons would do to a monster they created that acted as you have? They would unmake you, ripping the very power that formed your body, mind, and soul from you and erasing you from existence entirely. That¡¯s EXACTLY what I would do right here and now if Waynor wasn¡¯t so fond of you for some reason, he seems to enjoy the fact that you keep some things to yourself for whatever reason. You know what he said when I brought this up with him? He said it was fine, that you were an interesting and loyal creation¡­¡± (Instinct)


    I looked deep into her eyes so she would understand just how serious I was in this moment.


    ¡°I myself don¡¯t think of you that way. I think you¡¯re a flawed and dangerous creation with annoying feelings towards your creator and far too much freedom to act as you please. I think you are a threat waiting to happen and that one day you¡¯ll cause Waynor to feel despair, I think it would be better if you didn¡¯t exist at all Loria.¡± (Instinct)


    She hadn¡¯t even flinched, hadn¡¯t reacted at all.


    ¡°I assumed you might feel that way about me, it¡¯s been obvious that you disliked me. I assume it¡¯s some mixture of jealousy, anger, and possessiveness towards my lord that has caused you to hate me, that¡¯s fine you can hate me as much as you want we never needed to be friends we just need to be able to work with each other. So can I still work with you Instinct, can I depend on you to do what¡¯s best for my lord Waynor?¡± (Loria)


    I truly hated this woman in that moment, I hated her because even if she couldn¡¯t see into my mind she was still touching on the truth. I wouldn¡¯t kill her, at least not while Waynor still enjoyed having her here and alive. I suspected she already knew this, it¡¯s why she was able to call my bluff so calmly and I hated her even more for it. Even still there were a few things I would have to ask her, and if the answers weren¡¯t all correct then I would kill her and happily face the consequence of Waynor¡¯s displeasure.


    ¡°Yula, Tula, scan her with both of your full power and if you find even a hint of deception tell me.¡± (Instinct)


    I never took my eyes of Loria as I talked to my two muses, she was still a possible threat and I would never take my eyes off her while she was still such and in the same room as Waynor¡¯s core.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Now Loria, I¡¯m going to ask you some simple questions and if you lie or I don¡¯t like one of your answers I¡¯m going to end your life and try my utmost to strip that name from you so you can never return.¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°I¡¯d expect no less, ask whatever you wish I have nothing to hide from you¡­¡± (Loria)


    I watched her face carefully as I began to ask my questions, if I saw even the slightest hint of deception in her expression I¡¯d kill her at that moment.


    ¡°Are you a danger to Waynor?¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°No.¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Would you ever do Waynor harm?¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°No. I would gladly cease to exist before I considered harming my lord¡­¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Will you ever upset him or cause him displeasure?¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°Perhaps, but never will I desire to do so.¡± (Loria)


    I had to control myself from ripping into the power holding her together when she said that, it was not technically an answer that was wrong or made her a danger but the mere fact she openly admitted she was capable of doing such a thing¡­ I had to work very hard to repress my desire to just be rid of her right here.


    ¡°¡­Will you die if Waynor asked it of you, even if it meant killing yourself?¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Will you follow all of his commands?¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Will you do those two things for me as well?¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°Maybe, but only if I feel it is to the benefit of my lord Waynor. I serve none other than him, not even you¡­¡± (Loria)


    I truly wanted to kill her, it didn¡¯t matter if she was giving acceptable answers I just wanted to see her gone. Loria was too free, too uncontrolled, and too much of a risk in my opinion. It would be better if she weren¡¯t here at all, if this unpredictable and potentially dangerous creation had just never been made. Unfortunately she meant every word she said, that was clear by the look on her face and the silence of my own muses. And unfortunately she was right we didn¡¯t need to be friends, we didn¡¯t even have to remotely like each other, we just needed to be able to work together for Waynor¡¯s sake. Even though I hated her, truly TRULY hated her, I could work with her now that I could trust her not to be a threat to Waynor.


    ¡°Then I only have one question left, why are you here now?¡± (Instinct)


    I watched as the muse simply raised her left arm and pointed at the human that Waynor placed into a seal, the one that was Hanna¡¯s brother. The one that was called Ulisus.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the thoughts and mind of that man, he is a direct threat to Waynor¡¯s life. I¡¯ve come here for your help in removing that threat.¡± (Loria)


    I looked at the human, I had always been uncomfortable having him in the dungeon especially in the core room. He was after all a complete unknown, all that I knew of him was that he was important to Hanna and that Waynor wanted to save him to keep his pet happy. It was not difficult at all to imagine him posing a threat to Waynor, and unfortunately Waynor didn¡¯t even seem to consider this at all. I had planned to carefully observe him and perhaps convert him into a monster so that he would be more easily controlled, but if he was such a threat that it prompted Loria to take such secretive actions¡­


    ¡°Fine, he is only one human after all. It might break Hanna though, have you considered that?¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°¡­Yes, that could prove to be the best time to have her join us formally. She would be so unstable she would likely reach out for any sort of comfort or familiarity, I believe that it would take little to no real effort for you to convince her to offer up her humanity. In fact you might even be able to get her to overcome many things¡­¡± (Loria)


    ¡°I was under the assumption that you and her were close, friends even. You would put her through this without regard for her own feelings?¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°I¡¯ve considered her feelings, I¡¯ve considered many things to try and find the best solution for everyone. This is it, and if needed you can even tell her who it was that really killed her brother and why he died. With the right timing that single truth would lead to her embracing an offer to cast aside her humanity and truly serve Waynor¡­¡± (Loria)


    ¡°She would hate you, hate you more than she ever has anything else. She¡¯d view it as a betrayal.¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°And in her state it would be all too easy for someone with your skill to shift that hatred and feelings of betrayal on to another. Someone like her own brother¡­¡± (Loria)


    I looked at Loria and tried not to let my shock show on my face. What she proposed was devious, it could even be called the ultimate betrayal to her friend, but it was also perfect. It would probably work out just as she envisioned, and it could prove to be the final push I need to teach Hanna what her real relationship with Waynor was. She would embrace that truth, and she would hold it close for the comfort that it would bring her in her broken mental state. She would finally decide to stop fighting my conditioning and she would accept being nothing more than Waynor¡¯s pet.


    I backed up and returned my will to my core.


    ¡°I see, very well I will help you with whatever it is you need to carry out your plan. What would you have me do?¡±


    Loria just looked at the seal holding the human and his soul in a fixed state.


    ¡°I need you to talk to Waynor, to help convince him of something he would never consider if it didn¡¯t come specifically from you. I need you to convince Lord Waynor to move Ulisus before he attempts to save and awaken him.¡± (Loria)


    I agreed to what she proposed and as she turned away to leave I called out to stop her.


    ¡°Wait, you are far too potentially dangerous to be merely the guardian of the first level. These two will watch over you and aid you for now, then when I have convinced Waynor they will replace you as the guardians of the first level of his dungeon. Whatever it is you plan on becoming, it is not suited to the role Waynor initially made you for and I¡¯m sure he will see that soon enough himself. You should consider very carefully what it is your purpose actually is Loria, and I hope for your sake that the answer you come up with is beneficial to Waynor¡­¡± (Instinct)


    The woman turned back and smiled at me as my two muses walked up to accompany her at her two sides.


    ¡°Of course it will be, I¡¯d do anything for the one I love. That¡¯s something you understand clearly yourself isn¡¯t it Instinct?¡± (Loria)


    As I watched her leave the room and the mites begin to return and go back to whatever duties they were seeing to prior to Loria¡¯s arrival, I had just one thought.


    The two of us will never get along, I really do truly hate that woman¡­¡­ At least I don¡¯t have to worry about her becoming an enemy to Waynor though, or have to deal with trying to explain why I killed his current favorite creation¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..


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    Yeah, i''ve noticed that after writing all these chapters things have really changed.... like how i now consider 2500 words a "Short chapter" and closer to 5000 and "average length chapter"..... That''s kinda messed up, i mean B.B''s first few chapters were like 1000-3000 and i was cool with that..... now i look at a 1000 word chapter and i go "Wow... that''s just so lazy, there should be at least double that for it to count as a chapter....". plus it''s getting harder to use countless ellipsis in my stories now (I blame throne of all: tournament of the gods..... damn that shortening ellipses rule, it''s changed me.....)..... anyway just something i noticed....


    anyway before you ask no the two new muses aren''t in love with Waynor in that special way, and no they don''t follow only Instinct since they were still made with Waynor''s power even though they are very loyal to her. in their minds its: Waynor > Instinct > Other "Nobles" of the dungeon > them > lesser creatures....


    and last but not least remember to comment, rate, review, follow, favorite, share, and check my site (yes i added this to the end of chapter stuff.... there be some new stuff there to about a future competition.........)


    Now i''m off to do some studying and work on O.I......


    [th_096_K.gif]


    AaronDragon out........

 Chapter 14: Negotiations and a battle of words

    Ok so this is the start of multiple posts I will be releasing this week as a celebration of both having 1000 followers ({Well 998, but close enough right? two readers who havent followed yet, do me a quick solid and follow to make this official....}Wow, D.I. hit that magic ¡°Relivent Story¡± point¡­. YEAH!!! Somebody whip out the confetti cannon it¡¯s time to celebrate!!!!) and also having internet again (Very important to have access to the inter-webs¡­..)¡­.. so yeah, multiple releases this week¡­. How many will I get to? Well that depends on how good my medication is (Damn allergies making me sick¡­. Fuck pollen and fuck plants¡­.) and how much free writing time I should have which for the next week or two should be plenty now that I¡¯m done with my class¡­..


    Oh and i ask that someone comments soon since it''s late (Well, early now for me technically) and i would like to sleep... something that my OCD wont let happen without that first comment...... Help AaronDragon get that sleep he needs to crank out another chapter tomorrow!!!


    Anyway here¡¯s the long awaited negotiation chapter that came out at over 9000 words¡­. You¡¯re welcome folks¡­¡­


    ENJOY!!!!!!


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    Johana


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    We were currently sitting in a room that I was sure hadn¡¯t even existed before on the entrance floor of the dungeon, it was an impressive hall with three grand tables, a few stands, and a throne at the end of the hall that overlooked everything else all surrounded by a seating layout that looked down at this set up in a style that reminded me of arenas and colosseums. We had never been shown this room before and judging on how Hanna had reacted neither had she. It was not uncommon for dungeons to make changes to themselves while people are inside of them, but even so it is always deeply disturbing when they do. It reminds me that dungeons are very much living beings and they are constantly improving themselves by finding and new ways to kill anyone that enters them.


    Even so the grandeur and majesty of this room that seemed like a cross between a meeting room and a court of law couldn¡¯t hold my attention as it might have earlier. Right now I doubt anything could, my mind was far too distracted recalling the image of the guardian Loria and the visions she showed me. I knew that I shouldn¡¯t let her get to me like this, just as I had known that she was using some sort of mind magic and illusions to manipulate us. I had known all of that just as clearly as I knew that right now my focus should be negotiating terms for the guild¡¯s special relations and privileges with this dungeon, instead here I was trying to halfheartedly banish thoughts of a certain woman with looks rivalling any goddess of beauty from my mind.


    The sad fact of the matter was all that meant less than nothing, I had let Loria do as she liked with her illusions and even let her illusions affect me even more than they normally would by accepting her power into me like an old friend. I had been tempted by what they showed me and I had desired more, I wanted to do more than just see what she showed me. I had wanted to feel it, wanted to taste it, to smell it, to hear those sweet moans and gasps as if they were actually being whispered into my ears. So I gave in to temptation and let her power in, and in that moment I experienced bliss. It was by far the best pleasure I could ever imagine and it seemed to go on for days, there were things in that vision that occurred that I would probably be fantasizing about for the rest of my life.


    By the gods, the best sex I have ever had wasn¡¯t even real¡­ That¡¯s just so beyond messed up I can¡¯t even wrap my head around it¡­ How am I supposed to focus on anything when I keep remembering how Loria¡¯s skin was the most soft and supple thing I¡¯ve ever felt¡­ Or how she is equally capable as both a Dom and a Sub¡­ Or, gods, the things that woman could do with her tongue¡­


    I trembled slightly at the phantom sensation that ran across my body the moment I remembered that particular gift the guardian of this dungeon¡¯s first level possessed. The only words that came close to describing it would be divine perfection.


    ¡­Loria has probably ruined me for all other women, I can¡¯t even look at Hanna, Erica, or Cecilia and seeing all the little flaws in their features now¡­


    As I struggled to put the thoughts of my newest obsession and fantasy out of my mind, I tried my utmost to focus on Hanna and what she was talking to the dungeon will about at the other side of this grand long-table. I had a vague awareness of my party seated around me at this end of the table, but in this moment they didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was doing what I came here for, negotiating a successful and if possible advantageous contract between this dungeon and the explorers guild.


    And the way that Loria¡¯s fingers felt as they danced across my body, playing with me as if I was some sort of musical instrument and delighting in the noises I would¡­ Shit, focus. Negotiations, that¡¯s what¡¯s important right now, I can fantasize later¡­ Ok, I can do this¡­


    I had to cycle the mana in my body around near constantly to avoid the phantom sensations the would ghost across my body, but I was confident that I was clearheaded enough now to at least not make an utter fool out of myself when I talked. I was beyond thankful that Loria wasn¡¯t present for this, if she were I doubt I would even be able to think straight let alone negotiate an important contract. Hell, I probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to talk straight if she were here, I¡¯d be a stuttering mess that acted like I was still only 25 years old.


    ¡°So, you really want speak other than to clarify on terms? You want agree or anything like that and will leave the main portion of these talks to me, right?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Yes Hanna, I already said that I will leave the negotiations to you. Just remember what I said about the tributes, oh and that money thing you keep bringing up¡­¡± (Waynor)


    It was interesting to see the silver orb floating there and talking to a girl I once thought of as a top tier beauty, I couldn¡¯t help but notice how Hanna seemed to have the beginnings of premature grey hair mixed in with the honey-blond now. Or how she had faint dark sparks under her eyes like she hadn¡¯t been sleeping as well as she should, or even how her nose was ever so slightly slanted to the left. All things I¡¯d have never noticed before meeting Loria, but now seemed so glaringly obvious they were impossible to overlook.


    I noticed that Hanna and Waynor had seemed to have finished talking, and cleared my throat to gather their attention on me. If I was going to have any shot at securing an advantageous deal for the guild in a contract with this dungeon I would need to seize the initiative, the best way to do that would be to have their sides begin the talks then begin making demands and small concisions on an unimportant point to gauge how much I can push them. The only thing that was concerning was the feeling that I had gotten from Hanna, the feeling that reminded me of experienced and shrewd merchants more than twice her age.


    ¡°Ah, yes Johana you had points that you wished to discuss in the hopes of creating a binding contract with Waynor, right? Well as I am the current representative of this dungeon for matters both legal and financial, it will actually be myself that you shall be entering negotiation talks with. Waynor will of course have final veto rights for any and all concessions that I propose, but as the master of this dungeon he has agreed to merely observe as an invested party and has left me with all the privileges and rights to conduct negotiations of this manner. Please make it clear at this moment if there is anything in this arrangement that you feel is dissatisfactory or in any way disagreeable.¡± (Hanna)


    I stared at the girl who had spouted all of that out as if it were only natural with a calm smile, in that single moment any hope I had of gaining the advantage in talks with an inexperienced girl died a cold and tragic death. I had dealt with entire merchant firms that operated below the level of prowess she had just shown in the art of negotiations, she was already forcing me to make a concession before the talks had even started. Hanna seemed to be as comfortable with situations like this as I was with my bow, and given what I would have to do that was a prospect that was just depressing.


    ¡­Trapping me into a concession before we even get to the actual negotiations, huh? This girl is far more frightening than I had anticipated¡­ it looks like this is going to be a serious uphill battle, and I¡¯m the only one who can fight it¡­


    I looked back at my party only to see them utterly avoiding eye contact with me. Erica seemed to be utterly indifferent to all this, Darek was looking off to the side and seemed to be thinking about something deeply like he had since he had been shown his vision, Feris was making eyes at Hanna and winked at me when I glanced at him, and Cecilia was just looking around the room in fascination. None of them had either the authority or it would seem the desire to even attempt to help me in this.


    I let out a sigh as I brought my attention back to Hanna.


    ¡°No, I think this arrangement is fine¡­¡± (Johana)


    The girl just smiled as the dungeon will moved back to hover over the throne at the end of the room. I had the fleeting thought that I would have much rather been doing paper work at this moment before Hanna began to speak again.


    ¡°Then let officially enter into negotiation talks at this time. I would like to suggest we begin by clearly stating what both sides primary goal in these talks are, as well as making clear the eco-political situation of both parties as it matters in regards to any assets, resources, or intents that may hold any significant value to these specific talks. This is of course suggested with the understanding that any future talks will include and require future elaboration on the sides of both parties. Is that agreeable to you, Miss Johana?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡­I might just be in way over my head with this¡­


    I let out another sigh as I nodded my head.


    ¡°Yes, I find that agreeable¡­¡± (Johana)


    Maybe it would be better if I had just brought Benj here to deal with this for me, he is better at this sort of stuff than I am anyway¡­ Yeah, then I could¡¯ve stayed with Loria and explored how willing she is to make that illusion into reality¡­¡­¡­


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    Hanna


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    When I rejoined the explorers after their encounter with Loria I couldn¡¯t help but notice how different each of them were acting, not that I couldn¡¯t understand why they were acting strangely. I had experienced myself Loria¡¯s illusions and they were very strong, but as long as you remembered that they were just illusions they really shouldn¡¯t be all that compelling. It was like reading a fairy tale, just instead of reading it you got to watch it and the fairy tale was about you. Granted they had to deal with that and Loria¡¯s appearance, which on its own can be overwhelming, all in one sitting, I guess that probably kept them from calmly assessing things which is what lead to their strangeness ever since I rejoined them.


    They were all acting strangely in some way besides Feris who seemed to be acting the same as always, but most importantly Johana seemed to have trouble focusing on anything for too long and would periodically blush and smile to herself. Johana was obviously out of sorts, and since she was the one I was negotiating with that only made my job easier. The only real downside was the way she looked at me had changed, it was less warm and seemed far more indifferent than it once had been. That fact took away a few of the plans I had to approach negotiation talks, but in the end it really wouldn¡¯t matter all that much. It just meant that I would need to change my approach and given how hard it seemed for Johana to focus on anything right now, that wouldn¡¯t be all that difficult.


    When Waynor joined our group he quickly ported us into a new room on the entrance floor that he apparently had just made for this situation and for the possibility of others like it in the future. Waynor was very excited and it was obvious in his voice that he had been waiting for this ever since he had left us all those hours ago, it was times like these that I really noticed how young sounding Waynor¡¯s voice really was. Waynor sounded like a boy of nine or ten years old, but usually he was so mature and knowledgeable I overlooked that fact and just treated him as if he were my age or older. I guess in reality he really was far older than me, but he didn¡¯t act that way so I usually overlooked that fact even more often than I overlooked how young sounding his voice was.


    As Waynor and I spoke and he reminded me of what he wanted in the negotiations all while I reminded him that he should leave the deal and negotiating to me, I noticed that Johana seemed to be focusing herself and trying to overcome whatever had been distracting her. That was perfect, it would be impossible to make an official deal with someone who was so clearly out of it, or at least it would e impossible to get the guild she is representing to support whatever one-sided deal she agreed to due to her state. I wanted her competent and reasonable, but also distracted enough that she could make some mistakes I could then use against her, a delicate line that Johana herself was making all the easier for me to establish and exploit.


    When Johana finally coughed to get our attention Waynor had left things to me and gone over to hover above the throne behind me, I sat at the head of the center table and faced the woman who would be my opponent in this battle of words. She was a smart and cautious woman, that I could easily tell just from the brief time I had known her, but this was my element. I had struck advantages deals with firms before my breasts had even begun to grow, negotiated lasting contracts with high nobility before I had even had my first period, crushed rivals under the weight of their own legal and financial practices that if brought to light would spell the end of their success as a business before I was eligible to have a suitor. I didn¡¯t matter how competent or cautious this woman was, I knew that I was better.


    I would see that all of the things Waynor asked for were meet, then I would get more. I would secure the most advantages and binding contract possible, and I would prove just how useful I could be to Waynor and the paperweight.


    I let my practiced mask, the friendly smile and kind expression I had used for business for the last decade of my life, fall into place on my face. My posture straightened and I cast aside all unnecessary things in my mind as I let myself fall back into the mentality I had honed all my life. It didn¡¯t matter where I was, what had happened to me, not even what I was at this point, all that mattered now was bringing down the enemy before me and forcing them to concede far more than me. Words and assets were my weapons now, and luckily enough since I was representing a dungeon I had a limitless supply of both. This would be a simple matter, the other side wanted a contract, that¡¯s why they were here after all, so I had already won now I just needed to negotiate terms.


    I almost felt sorry for Johana as I opened my mouth to speak, she was so out of her league here it was actually rather sad¡­¡­


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    ¡°Yes, I find that agreeable¡­¡± (Johana)


    I couldn¡¯t help but let a real smile slip through  my mask for a moment, she had just given her consent to my having free reign in these negotiations and stripped away any possibility of refuting my points by using the agreement of my being an unrelated party. I doubted that would come up here in this negotiation, but it was important to establish this now so that it wouldn¡¯t come up as an issue in the future. It also gave the added benefit of establishing a precedent for my being the one people dealt with for official relations, it was the only real point I had concerns about and so I decided that I would bring it up multiple times and in multiple different ways or phrasings throughout these talks if Johana hadn¡¯t agreed to it, luckily she had and now those plans were unnecessary.


    Next I should establish who it is I am actually dealing with here, how much of the explorer¡¯s guild is Johana actually representing here and just how much have they given her to work with¡­ I¡¯ll keep up my momentum by offering up details on our side first, it¡¯ll be perfect if she frames her own response based of mine as well¡­


    I opened up my crossed arms and was sure to keep my body language as open and agreeable as I consciously could, it was important that one remembered their body language in negotiations that was what separated the truly gifted negotiators from the amateurs. By keeping myself closed off with body language until now, I have sent a subtle message that Johana was sure to have picked up on at some level.


    ¡°I¡¯ll begin explaining the position of Waynor¡¯s dungeon¡¯s side first, please do take note of this as it will affect what we are willing or able to offer in any deals we come to¡­¡± (Hanna)


    I carefully watched the woman as I spoke, she reacted just as I wanted. I could see the acceptance of my logic clear on her face, then there was her careful attention that seemed to hone in further than it had before. It was clear this is what concerned her the most, what she and her guild could gain rather than what they could possibly lose. It was a common mistake in deals, even those with experience and believed to be experts at negotiations make that mistake. Even I did for quite a while in my life, but now I knew better and would be all too happy to exploit her misconception for my sides own gain.


    ¡°As you know Waynor is a dungeon and as such is capable of producing practically anything including all manner of resources. This means nothing in regards to our negotiations as what we are willing to concede or offer is vastly limited compared to what Waynor himself is capable of producing. For the sake of this particular talk let us establish that what our side is willing to deal with is solely natural resources, social allowances, and specific services and rights, anything else is not up for debate and will not be offered in these talks. If you wish to obtain anything else you may pursue another contract with the assumption we come to accord on this current issue, this will of course mean another round of negotiation talks and deals will be made between our two sides.¡± (Hanna)


    She was nodding along as I spoke and I could see shock register on her face briefly when I mentioned a few points, it seemed she was expecting a lot less than what I said we were willing to deal in. that was good, it meant she would be dealing with things she was unprepared for and would likely have to offer more as compensation for what our side was willing to offer her. It was important to establish a measure of awe in whoever you were negotiating with as well as making sure to maintain the initiative in the talks, otherwise the best you could hope to gain were a few minor concessions at best. I was essentially playing with loaded dice in that regard by representing a dungeon, especially one like Waynor who was more than willing to allow me to concede points as long as I could get him what he wanted. To Waynor valuable resources were practically nothing, and in many ways the power that he used to obtain them was more valuable to him.


    In the end the explorer¡¯s guild would risk more by not dealing with everything in their power to provide, than just offering up every asset they had set aside for these talks. Waynor could literally become a gold mine for them, and an inexhaustible one at that.


    But of course I would never do that¡­ They want this deal just as much if not more than our side does, there is no need to ever offer up so much just to let them understand that it is there¡­ besides if we were to cause such a drastic change in the region¡¯s economy like an inexhaustible gold mine with a high yield it could only lead to problems¡­ I¡¯ll need to be very careful about this, I¡¯ll have to manage the other sides greed by both feeding it yet also starving it of what it truly desires while still letting them know it¡¯s there¡­ Difficult, but far from the hardest thing I¡¯ve ever had to do¡­


    Johana quickly adjusted herself and adopted a look of calm detachment as she began to speak, it was too late as I had already read her reactions but it spoke to her experience that she was so quickly able to adapt. She was undoubtedly a decent negotiator, she just wasn¡¯t an expert.


    ¡°As I am representing the entire explorer¡¯s guild, I have been entrusted with the combined assets of the Metia, Drugtar, Aldorn, Sealiven, and Winalfor main branches as well as all of the sub-branches and outposts under the governance of said main branches. This of course does not apply to those assets necessary for these branches continued operation to the guild¡¯s standard or any of the guild¡¯s personnel, but otherwise what the guild is prepared to offer within the confine of those assets was officially left to my best judgement.¡± (Johana)


    I made sure that my mask was as perfect as always, that nothing in either my actions or expressions showed anything other than what I wanted to project. I hadn¡¯t expected the guild to be willing to part with so much, even with the caveat of maintaining the essential assets and all of their personnel what they were presenting was still equal to a half a small kingdom¡¯s assets. I had been expecting far less, a fourth of that at most, but even with this surprise nothing has really changed. The power and asset dynamic of negotiations were stacked in my favor to start with, no matter what they could offer it could never hope to match let alone offset the prospect of limitless resources. Nothing I could think of ever could, but still this gave me quite a bit of room to work with.


    ¡°I see, well now that we are both clear on what both sides can put forth we can begin negotiating terms. I believe your primary goal was to secure a contract with Waynor, correct? I can see some benefit in just such a contract for my side as well, that is of course if some points of our own are met. Why don¡¯t we begin with you guild master Johana, what is the first point you¡¯d like to raise in regards to this issue?¡± (Hanna)


    It¡¯ll be interesting to see where she and the guild want to take this¡­ If their sole desire is profit and resources than this should be fairly easy, but if their half as smart as I¡¯d assume they¡¯ll want to clear up basic relations issues before they pursue profit. I¡¯ve already indicated that we¡¯d be open to future negotiations so profit should be a secondary concern now, primarily they should desire guarantees of basic safety and rights now¡­ At least that¡¯s what they should want if they are smart and have even the smallest of cares towards their personnel¡­ Either way will work out fine, but if they prioritize safety first I can probably handle the things Waynor wants first by means of exchange. Maybe spin it as a sort of tax or tribute, that would probably be the best way to handle things in a way that doesn¡¯t reveal how important those points actually are¡­


    ¡°Well primarily we would like to ensure that any official representative of the explorer¡¯s guild has the assurance of their own safety, within reason of course.¡± (Johana)


    As expected, only idiots would pursue a contract that doesn¡¯t guarantee their own safety¡­ Perfect¡­


    I gave a sympathetic smile making sure that there was clear concern in my voice, this would be an easy point to sell and it had the added benefit of coming off as a mere good-will concession at the start of the talks instead of being one of my side¡¯s main demands. I would be giving them more than they¡¯d expect and probably more than they thought to ever reasonably ask for, but in return I would be gaining one of the few points Waynor stated as a necessity. I could even clarify on his second point by playing it off as a conditional necessity to the offer, it was the second best way I could have ever hoped to pitch these demands and it had the added bonus as coming off as an offer.


    ¡°Of course, safety is an issue of great importance. Naturally you and your party have the freedom to leave this dungeon at the conclusion of our talks regardless of the results of said talks, but I believe it is the future safety of representatives you are speaking of is it not?¡± (Hanna)


    The woman gave a careful nod and gave me a hard stare. It seems like she was beginning to notice how careful she would need to be with her words now, just like I wanted. People tended to relax their guard around spoken issues and raise their guard when reading written contracts, I wanted to exploit that by making her over-conscious of what she said and how she said it. It was a bit of a double edged sword, but this tactic would ensure that her points were both carefully thought out and considered while also causing her to deeply consider my own points with that same care. This of course meant that I wouldn¡¯t be able to slip in any double talk, layered meanings, or any other shady tricks into the talks due to the risk of her discovering any of them and using them as leverage against me, but it also meant that now neither could she and that when she gave her responses she would be confident in them without overstating anything. It was a tactic I used when it was more advantageous to have an honest lasting contract between two parties than not, just like now.


    ¡°Yes, that was what I meant to imply. Please excuse my lack of clarity when I spoke just now.¡± (Johana)


    Perfect¡­ now to sell her more than what she wants at less than she¡¯d expect, all while making it seem like it¡¯s a favor concession for a future point in our talks¡­


    ¡°Think nothing of it, I just wanted to confirm your official point on the subject since it could be interpreted in many ways. Now in regards to the subject of safety, we have an offer that we¡¯d like to propose to you that we think would be to your liking. We propose that the entire entrance floor of the dungeon including any future expansions made to said floor is made into a safe area for all those entering the dungeon, this of course is as long as the rules of said floor are followed. The dungeon itself will be the one to determine what these rules are and they will be subject to change over time, but I can assure you they should not impede the basic freedoms and rights of any people that enter the dungeon and that violating these rules will only result in a person¡¯s removal from the dungeon and not death. Would such a thing interest you?¡± (Hanna)


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I could see that it did, it was only obvious it would given how I had laid the foundation for just such an offer with Johana¡¯s party¡¯s tour of this floor. It was easily more than the guild would¡¯ve been expecting and it was probably what Johana herself had secretly been hoping for given the way I had talked about some things while giving the tour. I also stated that everyone who entered the dungeon could enjoy that privilege and not just guild representatives, which was an added bonus to her side she probably wouldn¡¯t realize was a bonus to Waynor as well. It was a good pitch, and as long as she said she was even faintly interested in the idea I would be able to sell it to her and through her the explorer¡¯s guild as a whole.


    ¡°Yes, that does seem like a wonderful offer and we would have an interest in pursuing it, but what is it that your side would gain from making such an offer?¡± (Johana)


    She did it, Johana did just what I thought she would¡­ Even better she¡¯s starting to use ¡°we¡± and as such is speaking for the guild itself as a whole¡­ This will make everything much simpler, I don¡¯t even have to worry about the guild reneging on an offer she made now due to it being done without their name. Everything she says and offers now will be as the explorer¡¯s guild¡¯s proxy, something that can be seen when I put everything to writing later on as long as she keeps using we¡­


    ¡°Well that¡¯s a rather complicated matter actually, you see our side would like some sort of tribute for this privilege but as a dungeon money isn¡¯t a very attractive form of compensation. Instead I propose the use of something that the dungeon doesn¡¯t have already as a tribute: knowledge. I propose that a monthly tribute of 100 books is made to the dungeon by the guild, this of course excludes exact duplications as that would defeat the reason for the tribute to be made in this way.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°The use of books as tribute itself is a premise that we can agree to however, the amount you are asking for is utterly impossible. I¡¯ll offer ten books paid on the first of the month as tribute for the privilege you previously proposed.¡± (Johana)


    It took a lot to keep from breaking my mask and letting my face show how I felt at that counter offer, Johana and by extension her guild had all but accepted one of Waynor¡¯s demands as a privilege offered as a favor to them. With one of Waynor¡¯s necessary demands settled and since my initial offer was so outlandish that they counter offered with the amount of books he said he wanted, I had met almost all of the things that Waynor told me were necessary and he wanted. All that was left was that he could have his dungeon kill people, He is able to freely talk with people in his dungeon, and his soulmancer rule.


    The killing people thing will be easy enough, I can play that off as a warning after reaching an agreement on this safety offer¡­ Waynor talking to people will be par for the course since this is his dungeon, I can work that into the talks as an aside at some point in the talks... The soulmancer thing won¡¯t be all that hard to deal with either, they are dangerous and usually criminals who have a well-known desire for soulstones. Making a specific point about them in the talks should be fairly beneficial to both sides and shouldn¡¯t seem too out of place. Maybe it¡¯ll be something I can tack on the end of the talks as if it were an afterthought¡­ Yes that seems like it would work well, but for now let¡¯s see how many more books I can get for Waynor a month¡­


    I looked at Johana and made a point of seeming troubled over something, I couldn¡¯t tell if it affected the woman herself any but it at least seemed to fool Feris and Cecilia judging by the glance I gave the other members of Johana¡¯s party. I doubted they were here in any official capacity but there was a chance one of them might be overseeing the deals made here for the guild. As far as I was concerned that didn¡¯t matter to me just to Johana and her future job security within the explorer¡¯s guild, as long as the contract was made and they all sign as witnesses then they were utter non-factors to these talks.


    ¡°Well just ten is a bit troubling, if 100 is too difficult for you then perhaps 50 would be acceptable? Of course this isn¡¯t just limited to books as scrolls and other writings are more than acceptable as well, though the exact duplicate condition still applies.¡± (Hanna)


    That should make things easier for the guild, it¡¯s still an overestimate for what they could reasonably provide long term¡­ I¡¯d say the counter offer should be somewhere in the fifteen to twenty five range, if it¡¯s twenty or above I¡¯ll accept¡­ That¡¯ll be double what Waynor asked for so he should be happy, and it¡¯ll show that our side is willing to make reasonable compromises after some haggling to Johana¡­ Two birds, one stone¡­


    ¡°Hmm, well that is still a bit steep for us to prepare every month, even if it isn¡¯t solely limited to books. How about twenty per month?¡± (Johana)


    I smiled a weak smile and nodded, Johana would have probably kept haggling with me and if I really wanted to I could probably push her as far as 60 or 70 per month, but that would defeat one of the purposes for making the offer like this. It was best to concede this point for a greater gain in return later on, and it was best to move on so as not to linger to long on any one issue. If we spent too long on any one point it¡¯ll give Johana too much time to think of a way to better her own side and standing in this deal beyond what she thinks of as fair, it was always best for that to never happen in negotiations unless it¡¯s occurring for your sides benefit.


    ¡°Very well, it¡¯s not ideal but we can accept those terms. Twenty per month with no exact duplications, is that correct?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Yes it is, so we have reached an agreement now then?¡± (Johana)


    ¡°Yes, as long as the monthly tribute is received none that enter this dungeon will be harmed on the entrance floor and will enjoy status as guests visiting the dungeon. This of course also means that the use of the resting area and some of the recreation areas will be available to any who enter, though many of the services that could be provided such as food and prolonged stay will require further individual compensation.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°That is more than agreeable.¡± (Johana)


    ¡°This privilege of course only extends to the entrance floor and does not apply to any other floor besides this one. Naturally this means that there is the likely possibility of death for those who advance onto the deeper floors, but that is only to be expected is it not?¡± (Hanna)


    Johana made a rather complicated face for a moment before nodding, she probably intended to negotiate some sort of non-death agreement for explorer¡¯s guild members or perhaps some other group. In which case it was best I set the stand point Waynor wanted as practically non-negotiable before it was ever brought up. I doubt it¡¯ll be brought up again in these talks, but it might become an issue that is called into question in the future if don¡¯t handle it carefully in all future talks with the explorer¡¯s guild.


    Johana shifted slightly in her seat as she began to speak.


    ¡°Well we believe that quite adequately settles the matter of safety for now, which leads us to consider one of the major points that we wished to discuss with you. After seeing the first level of this dungeon it is clear that it¡¯s rich in herbal resources, I assume that your side will not consider it theft if anyone picks or collects them?¡± (Johana)


    Ah, so we have begun to touch on the resource issues¡­ Well Waynor has practically everything he wanted, and he did put the herbs there to draw people in¡­ And I do have permission to use them as assets for negotiation, perhaps it¡¯s time I seriously start pursuing benefits for our side now? I think I¡¯ll start with rights for the dungeon, then I¡¯ll move on to territory, and then I¡¯ll move down from there with secondary points¡­ Maybe call an end to the talks when a good frame work for future talks is made and our side has gained a decent amount of territory around the dungeon¡¯s entrance¡­


    I made a dismissive wave.


    ¡°As long as the one who picks them is willing to enter the dungeon and risk his life in doing so, anything that they are able to obtain from the dungeon and take out with them is theirs to own and do with what they will. Of course most monsters will die outside of the dungeon without soulstones, but non-monster plant life should be unaffected by that¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°I see, then the issue of monster drops? Er, I mean¡­ We are concerned about what the effects this will have on monster parts brought out of the dungeon, will the lack of a soulstone cause these parts to deteriorate or become less effective outside of the dungeon?¡± (Johana)


    That was a point I hadn¡¯t even considered, but I guess that was a major concern for both explorers and their guild. Monster parts could be used for all sorts of things from weapons to potions and curatives, whether they lost their effectiveness or anything similar when taken out of the dungeon would be a huge loss for these people and would detract from Waynor¡¯s dungeon¡¯s appeal in a huge way. I tilted my head in the exact way that I had indicated to Waynor earlier as the signal I needed to consult something with him privately.


    I immediately felt the tickle of something strange and foreign enter my mind, then I heard Waynor¡¯s wonderful voice resound in my thoughts.


    Yes Hanna? (Waynor)


    Is that actually an issue? Will creature parts actually be affected by stuff like removing them from your dungeon?


    Not unless I use power to specifically alter them to, otherwise they should be fine¡­ Well unless the part is still alive, then it would of course die when taken out of my dungeon. Otherwise the parts of my creatures shouldn¡¯t change at all by being taken out of the dungeon, why would they want just parts anyway Hanna? (Waynor)


    They can be used for stuff like weapons or potions, wait what did you mean unless the part is alive? Wouldn¡¯t the fact that it¡¯s been removed from whatever body it came from mean it¡¯s already dead even if the main body of whatever it came from is still alive?


    Most of the time, but it¡¯s fairly easy to make creatures whose parts can live on without them as well¡­ (Waynor)


    Oh, ok¡­ Um, maybe don¡¯t make any of those for the first few levels then¡­ actually maybe don¡¯t make those at all if you can help it, they sound kinda disturbing¡­


    Hmm¡­ Ok I won¡¯t make any like that until I have more levels, and they¡¯ll only be on the deeper levels too... That should be ok, that way things at the beginning shouldn¡¯t be too difficult¡­ (Waynor)


    I felt the whatever Waynor did to link our minds fade away as quickly as it had begun, only a mere moment had passed probably no more than a second or two as we had been speaking at the speed of thought. I had my answer, but that bit at the end that Waynor was considering was concerning on an entirely new level than these talks.


    As I focused back on Johana and smiled I once again cast aside all my stray thoughts, I fell back into my focused state as easily as I put on a dress.


    ¡°Monster parts will be vastly unaffected as being removed from the dungeon merely kills monsters eventually, it does not cause them to deteriorate. As such I don¡¯t believe there will be any problem with using them as you would normally, though this does raise to mind a point I¡¯d like to bring up¡­¡± (Hanna)


    As I contemplated the best way to phrase this next point, I watched Johana¡¯s face relax with relief before regaining its careful neutral expression.


    ¡°What would this point be exactly?¡± (Johana)


    ¡°We would like the right to officially expand outside of the dungeon, and we would like a set amount of territory around this location to be given to our side. Ideally a five mile round area with the dungeon¡¯s entrance at its center would be what we¡¯d like, and of course we would only expand the dungeon territory outside of the dungeon within that area. It would be considered an expansion of the first floor and subject to the same rules and protections as that same floor.¡± (Hanna)


    It was fairly telling to see how Johana¡¯s eyes hardened but she didn¡¯t close off her body language, she had been given permission to deal using that territory but she clearly didn¡¯t want to. Maybe it was a last resort for the guild, or maybe the territory was claimed by someone else already and the explorer¡¯s guild would need to purchase it from them to offer it to us. There could be all sorts of reasons for her reluctance, but either way it meant that our negotiations were about to change in tone.


    I see, well that¡¯s fine too¡­ In fact now that we¡¯ve gotten the delicate relations aspects of things settled already, I don¡¯t really even need to skirt around with politeness. We can just deal in assets, and for that there is no need for either of us to really be pleasant to each other¡­ In fact it will probably be easier and faster if we weren¡¯t¡­


    I waited for the woman¡¯s response, and it was fairly obvious she was trying to decide what the guild would want her to say or offer in this situation. I had been keeping things tame until now, bringing up issues that her side wanted addressed and nothing that was overtly for my sides own gain, but just now I had changed that dynamic. This was the point that many negotiations would breakdown, but luckily I knew for certain that Johana and her guild desperately to gain a contract with Waynor as that was the only possible explanation as to why a guild master would come here in person with permission to deal in so much of the guild¡¯s assets. Her side was stuck whether they liked it or not until both sides decided it was time to draw up the contract, and I¡¯m sure by now Johana had realized just what that could mean for her.


    ¡°You realize that the territory you are speaking of is unclaimed and rests on the border of four different kingdoms, don¡¯t you? For us to recognize and support the rights of a foreign power to claim it as their own would be no minor issue, it would involve careful political maneuvering on our part and quite a lot of assets to accomplish something such as that. It can be done, but it is rather much to simply ask for upfront without a clear benefit for us in granting this concession¡­¡± (Johana)


    ¡°I see, then let¡¯s dispense with all unnecessary points then shall we? Both sides have something the other desires so let¡¯s trade assets for assets directly. What do you want for the official rights to the territory I specified?¡± (Hanna)


    The look of shock that appeared on Johana¡¯s face was brief and quickly overtaken with an almost predatory look.


    ¡°Fine, that¡¯ll make this easier on me anyway¡­ We¡¯d like ores, ores we don¡¯t have to brave the dangers of a dungeon to gain access to. Gold and silver are always preferable, but industrial ores are always a necessity¡­¡± (Johana)


    ¡°You won¡¯t get gold, it could be done but not when our side is getting so little for it. We are willing to offer a copper and iron that will be created nearby on our newly established land. It will be on our territory and thus subject to our own rules and taxation, it will also contain minor dangers as a sort of sub-dungeon.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Add in precious stones and at least one precious metal or that won¡¯t even be worth considering for us.¡± (Johana)


    ¡°We will add the accelerated formation of crystals and small silver veins in a far lesser quantity than the iron or copper. We will also add nickel veins to the same degree as the copper and iron veins.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°What degree would that be exactly? We would like to know the percentage ratio of yield to soil in the mine proper, and the breakdown of ore and precious stones within that yield.¡± (Johana)


    I see, so you want to know just how much you stand to gain here, huh? Well fine, I have already confirmed all this with Waynor anyway¡­ I don¡¯t think we need to use the 75% yield and 25% soil composition that Waynor set as his limit¡­ 50% yield would be an amazing mine on its own, practically a divine treasure trove of resources that couldn¡¯t be found naturally¡­


    ¡°The mine proper will have 50% yield 50% soil. Of the yield 30% will be copper, 30% iron, 30% nickel, 6% silver, and 4% crystalized precious stones¡­¡± (Hanna)


    I felt the tickle of Waynor¡¯s voice in my mind speaking to me quickly, and fading away before I could even feel my own heart beat.


    ¡°In addition below the mine proper there will be a mine populated with various more powerful monsters that will have a yield of 10%. That 10% will be made up of 5% emonite and 5% irisial. Of course both mines will have unlimited renewal of their resources, and though it will take time for this renewal to occur it will likely begin to replenish the mine¡¯s yield after 80% of that yield has been excavated and removed from the mine. Within a year the mine¡¯s yield should be fully restored to its initial values, we believe that this should be more than satisfactory for you.¡± (Hanna)


    I could practically see Johana¡¯s mouth drop in shock when I brought up the magical metals, and when I brought up how the mine would restore its own yield when the mine was almost exhausted her face froze for a moment. It was clear that with that I had easily secured the rights to the land, it was too valuable for the guild to ever pass up and now explorer worth their rank would every pass up the chance of magical metals and the equipment that could be made from them.


    ¡°Deal, we find that acceptable. Now we would like to be exempt from taxation or any subsequent fees for using the mine.¡± (Johana)


    ¡°Then the explorer¡¯s guild must officially recognize this dungeon and it¡¯s territories as a sovereign state, and announce it¡¯s founding to the neighboring nations after all sets of contracts have been met and signed officially by both sides.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Only if we are given the right to establish a branch within your territory and establish at least a single town near both the dungeon and mine, we will establish the population by advertising the opportunities of this location to those we deem appropriate.¡± (Johana)


    I see, so they will let us have our own territory and be subject to no other nation as a sovereign state, but only if they get to populate that state with the people of their own choosing¡­ Well that in of itself is fine, but I think I can still get a little more out of the guild to help counter that point¡­


    ¡°Very well, but all residing within our territory will be subject to our rules and that includes the explorer¡¯s guild and any other guilds that choose to create a branch within our territory. That will of course mean they are subject to taxation as well if that comes to be one of the rules that our side decides upon.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°That¡¯s acceptable. Do you have any other points you¡¯d like to raise as well?¡± (Johana)


    This was it, Johana has obviously recognized that the contents of our deals have started to stray into territory that is out of her league to deal with. At this point I have practically forced her and by extension the explorer¡¯s guild to recognize and back us as a small kingdom. Of course it wasn¡¯t to that point yet and I doubt I would ever push for that point since it would lead to far more issues than it would benefits, but acknowledging Waynor and his dungeon as a sovereign entity and essentially granting that entity land rights was already a pretty huge deal for a guild even one as large, influential, and powerful as the explorer¡¯s guild. Even if I wanted to push for more Johana probably couldn¡¯t grant anymore to my side without consulting with her superiors, and that would probably lead to a breakdown of negotiations.


    This is good, this is more than enough and should grant Waynor legal protection and some level of status with the surrounding nations. All I can think of to add is maybe¡­ Oh, that¡¯s right I need to add one more point before letting the negotiation talks end!


    I looked at Johana and smiled a simple innocent smile, I doubted that she would recognize the significance of what I was going to ask. It wasn¡¯t something that would matter to a guild master and it wouldn¡¯t matter to an explorer either, only a noble versed in international practices and extremely well versed in law would truly understand the total significance of what I was about to do.


    ¡°Yes there was one more thing, we would like you to recognize the rules my side decides upon as laws for our territory. After you agree upon that point we will happily draw up a number of copies for a contract acknowledging the points we have discussed and agreed upon and that states our terms, the contract will of course be binding and this will be reinforced by the true-oath magic that enchants both the paper and ink of the contract.¡± (Hanna)


    I could see the initial confusion at my last point and then the suspicion at the mention of the contract run across the face of the woman sitting across from me.


    ¡°Fine that last point is agreeable, but you must know that we will inspect the magic in the contract before signing it. I myself will be inspecting it before I give my own signature as well, and if I find anything aside from the true-oath magic¡­¡± (Johana)


    I smiled as I waved away her concerns, there would be no tricks or traps in the contract. Waynor and Instinct both made it perfectly clear how just how imposable it was for them to falsify a contract, and even my doing it in their name would result in the destruction of whatever contract I created as well as myself. That wasn¡¯t a pleasant prospect to me, and since the deals stated in this contract would be to our own benefit there would be no real reason to try such things anyway. Although there was one other point that I should mention to Johana before she begins her inspection, but that could wait until later.


    ¡°Relax the only other magic will be for the means of transporting the contracts in a timely manner to the other relevant parties. I¡¯ll happily explain it to you in detail at a later time, but for now why don¡¯t we take a break? I believe it is long past time for me to have my dinner, and I would be happy for you and your party to join me Johana¡­¡± (Hanna)


    I felt the tickling sensation of Waynor¡¯s voice entering my mind in that way he called whispering for some strange reason, that talent of his had really come in handy during the talks a few times. Even still I didn¡¯t like it all that much, even though I knew better it felt too much like Waynor seeing into my mind and there was a lot in my mind I didn¡¯t ever want him to see. Loria knowing some of that stuff was already bad enough and she was my best friend, well my best friend since I was abducted and taken from my old life in front of my old best friend as she tried her best not to make eye contact with me.


    Good job Hanna. I didn¡¯t understand a lot of what you were talking about for a while there, but Instinct says that it was really clever of you and would help us a lot so good work! Although I¡¯m a bit confused about why you didn¡¯t bring up the part about soulmancers not being allowed in my dungeon¡­ (Waynor)


    That will be a part of our rules, and within the territory it will be the law so that point really didn¡¯t need to be made specifically in the negotiations itself.


    Oh, ok then. I¡¯ll give you a treat for doing such a good job with your dinner¡­ Good Hanna, good girl! (Waynor)


    I felt the tickling sensation leave me as I contemplated the mixed feelings that came from what Waynor just said.


    On the one hand I¡¯m getting a treat and Waynor¡¯s treats are amazing, on the other hand he¡¯s still treating me like a pet with that ¡°Good Hanna¡± stuff¡­ Then again that isn¡¯t too bad to hear every so often, and I did do a good job if I must say so myself¡­ But I¡¯m still a human being, not a pet. Yep, totally not a pet, I¡¯ll just let it slide this time since it was so nice to hear-¡­.. Er¡­.. I mean it was so true, yeah that¡¯s all¡­ it was true that I did a good job, so logically I must be a good girl¡­ yeah that¡¯s all¡­¡­¡­


    I smiled as I got up and began leading the explorer¡¯s to the nearest dining area, which I found out was right next door to where this room had been made. Today had been long, but it should be over soon since all that was left was¡­


    Oh¡­ Shit¡­ I still have to write the original contract before Waynor can make copies of it¡­ Well my day just got a lot longer, hopefully my treat has lots and lots of chocolate to cheer me up¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    So yeah that was long¡­.. a LOT longer than I thought it would be actually¡­.. Yeah, so now my questions to you in the comments: Is Hanna a real asset to the dungeon like she was trying to prove, or is she still just useful as being Waynor¡¯s pet human?


    Anyway wow that was a lot, I¡¯ll probably leave this pretty much as is without editing since I¡¯ve gone over it to check the logic flow and sense of stuffs, so if you find something MAJOR that interrupts immersion put it in a comment and I¡¯ll probably end up fixing it cuz I¡¯m weak like that¡­..


    As always comment, rate, review, follow, favorite, share, and check out my site for anything new¡­¡­


    Author out¡­..

 Chapter 15: Changes of Condition...

    So, even though everything from my having to go to an appointment in 2 and 1/2 hours (...Sleep? HAHAHAHAHahehahahehahehahehae.... Authors dont get to SLEEP!!!!.... FML imma be so tired tomorrow....), my house temporarily lossing power for an hour or so, and the family''s bite happy puppy almost destroying my keyboard in his noble attempt of biting of my nose.... even through all that i STILL posted this chapter that came out longer than i thought....


    anyway there has been a change of format for the dungeon menu (because the one i was using before was a bit to clunky in my opinion for publication) and there has also been a change/upgrade to it in the story''s actual plot.... also you can now compare Waynor''s starting menu to the average Dungeon born dungeon''s (Just add rank, dominion level, and about half of the creation/destruction options to Instincts first story.... that''s about it.... It''ll make sense when you get that part, trust me.....)....


    once again i probably wont edit this much if at all, and if i do it will be later on....


    Also i ask that someone hurries to comment to satisfy my OCD and let me sleep in peace... sorta... well as much peace as my mind will allow as it bombards me with countless story and plot ideas... all when i just want some F&(%@#!$ rest for a change..... my mind can be a dick like that.....


    so here be the chapter...


    ENJOY!!!!


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Feris


    <hr />


    ¡°Wow, you really have gotten better at your acting Feris¡­ I don¡¯t think anyone has even noticed anything different about you at all.¡± (Nora)


    I made sure that I didn¡¯t even so much as glance at her, no one else could know that I could see Nora¡¯s ghost. Explorers dealt with undead much the same way they dealt with angry and hostile monsters, by killing them on sight. Luckily Nora couldn¡¯t be seen by just anyone, hell even with the bond between us I couldn¡¯t see her until that Loria woman helped me to.


    As I looked around at the people I had partied with and pretended to enjoy myself like I always did, I couldn¡¯t help but notice how the world seemed brighter now. Everything was clearer, more beautiful, and more perfect. I hadn¡¯t even noticed how bland and grey the world I was seeing was without Nora, it was like there had been something essential missing from everything and no one could tell not even me. That was different now, Nora was back with me and the world was as it should be again.


    I¡¯ll never let myself go back to that bland world without her¡­ I¡¯d rather die¡­


    It was easy for me to pretend, it had been a skill I had honed for so long it was almost harder now to show the real me. The fact that the food in front of me looked and tasted amazing didn¡¯t hurt either, it¡¯s even easier to pretend when you don¡¯t have to fake things like how good something tastes.


    ¡°Hey, Feris? Do you think you can really pull this off? I mean I know you¡¯ll try, but now that I think about it maybe it¡¯s better that you actually don¡¯t¡­¡± (Nora)


    I could see her out of the corner of my eye, short brown hair, those almond shaped green eyes, the subtle features that gave her face it¡¯s natural beauty, those pink lips that I had learned were just as soft and delicate as they looked, her slim and petite figure accented by the flower patterned dress robes she was currently wearing, she was just as beautiful as she always had been even as the ghost she was now. Nora had aged a few years past the age she had died, but that wasn¡¯t at all uncommon for spirits or ghosts. They looked the age they felt, I had learned that many times as an explorer, and Nora had grown alongside me as always.


    And even now that we had finally been reunited she was still worrying about me, that was so like Nora.


    I used the silent hand language we had come up with as kids to talk with her, it was difficult to do while passing the movements off as something else but not impossible. Everyone here thought a was some womanizing idiot, so that¡¯s what they saw, that¡¯s what I showed them. I wasn¡¯t communicating with someone secretly, I was simply just stretching, making a pass at Erica, and trying to feel up Cecilia next to me. Nothing out of the normal for Feris, not at all a cause for alarm or suspicion.


    I asked a simple question with my signals: did he hurt her?


    ¡°Well, you know Feris I never did tell you how I became an orphan on the streets did I? My parents, they were good people¡­ I was so young when it happened can barely even remember their faces now. They were taking me out to celebrate something, I can¡¯t remember what, and they stepped in the way of a noble child¡¯s carriage. The boy must¡¯ve only been three, but he still calmly ordered their deaths. His guards pursued my parents as they picked me up and ran, they hid me in a crate in some alleyway. That was the last time I saw them¡­


    I learned after I met you who that boy was, he wasn¡¯t even from the city he was just visiting that day. That¡¯s right, my parents were taken from me because we had the poor luck of upsetting Ulisus Tultsven on the day he happened to visit our city. It was bad¡­ just bad luck¡­¡± (Nora)


    It took everything I had to not react to the tears coming out of Nora¡¯s eyes, instead I just smiled and winked at Hanna and stuck another piece of pork roast in my mouth. I started signaling Nora again when she had stopped crying, I meant what I was signaling her with all of my heart.


    I signaled just three words: he dies soon.


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Waynor


    <hr />


    There were a lot of things that I was starting to understand using the explorers¡¯ memories that Hanna got, some of the more important things I had understood was the concept of age and how different it was for each of the races. Johana¡¯s concepts of age were different than the others and Feris, Erica, And Darek¡¯s concepts on age were a lot like Hanna¡¯s and were dreadfully short. Cecilia¡¯s concepts of age was almost nonexistent and it seemed to depend on how old she thought of herself, that was the easiest concept to understand for me. I think if I see enough memories from all the races of people I will be able to understand enough about them all that I won¡¯t be confused about how they act anymore, but I¡¯m coming to learn that simply understanding them doesn¡¯t mean that they¡¯ll make sense.


    I learned that humans were just strange creatures in general, they were all different in so many ways and they celebrated their differences yet they couldn¡¯t seem to see how similar they all were. The few elves I saw in fragments of Cecilia¡¯s memories were the same, and the one extra memory I got from Johana was about how both races didn¡¯t like her for being too different. In the end I decided that the races of humans and elves were just weird, and I would reserve judgment on the other five races until I found out more about them.


    I was watching Hanna and my guests eat the meal I prepared for them, I had made honey glazed spiced pork roast, corn stuffed spiced turkey, and steak with egg roasted over it as the main courses with sides of fresh vegetable salad with a light sweet sauce made from sugar and fruit juice, assorted dried fruit bowls, and steamed rice with gravy. I was really beginning to become fascinated with all the various combinations I could make when preparing food, and I was especially fond of the many ways to prepare rice and the near infinite ways to create new sauces and gravies. It was also nice to have new test subjects besides Hanna who could try my food creations, judging from the noises and expressions my guests and Hanna made as they ate they liked what I made this time as well.


    Now I¡¯ll make a new treat for Hanna to try as a reward, and then I¡¯ll have to bring her back to her room so she can get her rest for the day¡­


    It was beginning to get close to Hanna¡¯s sleeping time and I didn¡¯t want her to miss it, I had learned that it was very important that humans sleep a certain amount at certain times to stay healthy. I wanted Hanna to stay healthy so I made sure she always slept at least seven hours around the same time of day, even if there were guests today I wouldn¡¯t make an exception that could risk Hanna¡¯s health. Until Hanna agreed to let me put a soulstone inside her I couldn¡¯t heal her if she became sick, and since she refused the last time I asked as well maintaining Hanna¡¯s health was necessary.


    As I imagined a frozen treat Instinct once mentioned humans enjoyed and how I could improve it, I observed my guests closely. Erica was still my favorite, but Cecilia was also interesting and there was something out of place about her that I was beginning to notice. I had decided that she would be my second favorite, then there was Feris whose memories were so different from the others, Darek who was not very interesting but reminded me of a mite in some ways, and Johana who I knew the least about. They were all interesting to watch and I liked having them in my dungeon, I was glad that none of them had died.


    Yes, it¡¯s good none of them died¡­ Even if their deaths were interesting then I would have less people to test my food now, so until there are more people entering my dungeon maybe it¡¯s best that as few people die as possible¡­ Maybe I just won¡¯t evolve any of the pixies or wisps on the first level, that way it will stay like it is now and not many should die¡­ I¡¯ll still evolve the flower soldiers though, it isn¡¯t interesting to watch if there is no danger at all¡­


    As I imagined the dairy mix being churned slowly within a vortex of ice magic while I added hints of vanilla and plenty of melted chocolate to it, I decided that I wouldn¡¯t change my first level much more. Just before I finished the special treat I would be giving Hanna, and the pastry treat I was making for Erica and Cecilia, I decided to check my menu to confirm I had enough power to do what I needed to.


    [ Name: Waynor ]


    [ Titles: ¡°Icon of Patience¡±, ¡°Self-Named Dungeon¡±, ¡°The One Who Endures¡± ]


    [ Rank: 1 ]            [ Dominion Level: 0 ]


    [ Territory: N/A ]              [ Dungeon Views: {invaders (threat)} {overview} ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 19,782} { Animus: 102,434} ]


    [ Class: ??? ]       [ State: Flawless core]


    [ levels: 1 ]          [ Floors: 16 ]       [ Entrance/Exits: 1 ]


    [ Inhabitants: {???: 1} {humans: 1} {Mites: 1,000,000+ (Hive Mothers: 13) (Warrior Mites: 4,539)} {Elementals: (Wisps: 123,421)} {Fae: (Pixies: 49,206) (Muses: 3)} {Plants: (Corrupted plants: 1,000,000+) (Carnivious vines: 64) (flower soldiers: 56,834) (parasitic seeders: 123)} ]


    [ Traps: {Spike: 23} {Pitfall: 2304} {Arrow: 2580} {Wall: 921} {Ceiling: 451} {Fire: 652} {Poison: 737} {Acid: 402} {Maze: 4 } {Magic: 41,390} {Original design: 2,133} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: (Expansion) (Building) (Decoration) (Design) (Trap Creation) (Core Growth) (Core Repair) (Rune Creation) }             {Animus: (Dungeon Lord Creation) (Inhabitant Creation) (Soulstone Creation/Granting) (Name Bestowal) (Mutation/Evolution Management) (Core Growth) (Core Repair) } ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: (Magic) (Deconstruction) (Siphoning) (Absorption) (Portation) (Teleportation) (Automatic Item/Magic Recycling)}          {Animus: (Siphoning) (Absorption) (Remodification/Recreation) (Automatic Life Recycling)} ]


    [ Unique Ability Options: (Adaptive Database) (Adaptive Power Comprehension (Adaptive Omni-Language processes) (Dimensional Mastery) (Mana/Animus Conversion) (Over-Bestowal) (Absolute Contract) (Memory Processing Orb) ]


    [ Stored/Owned Bosses: {Dungeon lord (Unknown): 1} {Muse: 3} ]


    [ Listed Known Creations: {¡Þ} ]


    My menu had changed and improved again, there had been new things that had shown up on it once I had fifteen floors. Instinct had said that this was normal and that things would be added as I grew, but that my menu was practically full as it was now. She said that was very strange for a dungeon and that made me even more different from normal dungeons, but that it also meant I was unique. I didn¡¯t really think it was that big of a deal, my menu just showed me things that I could do already and how much power I had. It was useful but I could live without ever using it fairly easily, I just didn¡¯t want to.


    This should be enough mana for the fifty copies Hanna wanted¡­ I guess she¡¯ll have to write the thing she wants me to copy when she wakes up, maybe the explorers can sleep in the beds on this floor too¡­ Although if one of them got sick from not sleeping to stay healthy that could be interesting too, maybe even more fun than them just sleeping normally¡­


    As I placed the treats I had just made in front of Hanna and my favorite guests, I decided that I would make the offer of letting them use the beds on this floor and if any of my guests chose to not sleep and then got ill then that would just be a bonus.


    ¡°Is that¡­ ice cream?¡± (Cecilia)


    ¡°That¡¯s the delicacy that only the rich could ever afford to have prepared, and you just get it like nothing?¡± (Erica)


    ¡°It¡¯s a perk of living here, anyway you both have chocolate torts so you can¡¯t complain¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Want to trade?¡± (Cecilia)


    ¡°I would¡­ But you know, Waynor made these specifically for us so it wouldn¡¯t be polite to trade¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°You know, I wouldn¡¯t mind sharing such delicacies with a maiden as fair as you, Lady Hanna.¡± (Feris)


    ¡°Feris, I¡¯d prefer if you didn¡¯t speak so that I don¡¯t need to waste anymore of the cutlery on you¡­¡± (Erica)


    As they were all beginning to finish up there meals, I decided that now would be a good time to make my offer and remind Hanna about what time it is.


    ¡°As it¡¯s getting late, I think it is about the time for everyone to rest for the day. I would be happy to allow you all to sleep in the beds in the resting room tonight, and Hanna of course I¡¯ll take you to your own room...¡± (Waynor)


    Hanna made a confused expression for a moment when she looked at me, and the guests all seemed pleasantly surprised. I didn¡¯t understand why they all seemed so surprised by this, it was well into the night now and this is around the time Hanna always sleeps. I¡¯d think it would only be natural that they sleep around now as well, and Hanna should be especially tired since she was so active today.


    ¡°Um, Waynor I still need to draw up the contract between us and the explorer¡¯s guild, then we need to have it reviewed, and after that there is the signing-¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°You can do that after you¡¯ve rested then. You don¡¯t want to get sick from not maintaining your health do you, Hanna?¡± (Waynor)


    It was interesting to see how Hanna reacted, first she smiled, then grimaced, then she looked at the explorers for a moment, then she finally just nodded at me.


    ¡°Alright then, we can handle the contract tomorrow¡­ That¡¯s alright with you right, Johana?¡± (Hanna)


    Johana seemed shocked by her name being spoken and looked confused for a moment before her face began to tint red slightly and she nodded.


    ¡°Wha-¡­ Oh, um, yeah that¡¯s fine with me. Tomorrow, it¡¯ll give us a night to sleep on things¡­¡± (Johana)


    Now that they¡¯ve settled that I guess it¡¯s about time¡­


    I looked at my guests as I ported Hanna back to her room, they were a bit shocked when they saw Hanna fall into the hazy portal of mana but I¡¯m sure they¡¯d get used to it over time like Hanna did.


    ¡°Then we will see you all soon, do please enjoy your rest and don¡¯t wonder off where you¡¯re not supposed to¡­¡± (Waynor)


    After I said that I let my will return to my core room, leaving my guests to themselves¡­


    <hr />


    ¡°Waynor, I think that since Hanna did such a good job that we should do something that would make her really happy¡­¡± (Instinct)


    I was watching the guests for a while, but at this point they had all started to go to sleep and watching people sleep is rather boring. Instinct had been keeping me company while I waited for Hanna to get her sleep, I was too excited about what was going on to do much of anything else and besides I didn¡¯t want to use too much of my power and then not have enough to make the contract copies Hanna wanted later on.


    ¡°I already praised her and gave her a treat, was there something else I should do to reward her? I guess I could make her a new outfit or maybe start working on that house she always talks about¡­¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°No, I meant we should move on to the next step of saving her brother now.¡± (Instinct)


    There was something that I had just noticed about Instinct¡¯s voice, it had lost its neuter tone. Instincts voice had transitioned into a pleasant and clearly feminine voice that was incredibly beautiful sounding, it was strange how I hadn¡¯t noticed that it had changed until just now.


    I wonder how long it¡¯s been like that, or did it change just now? Huh, well I guess it doesn¡¯t really matter¡­ I like how it sounds now and that¡¯s the important thing¡­


    ¡°But I thought we were going to wait another few months for the next step, weren¡¯t we going to let more of my power seep in and naturally corrupt Ulisus further?¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°Well yes that¡¯s what I thought would be for the best at first, but now¡­ Now what I think is best has changed¡­¡± (Instinct)


    Well I guess that made sense, I changed my mind fairly often myself. A lot of times I had made Hanna a dress or put a design on a wall that I really didn¡¯t like all that much later on. If Instinct thought that there was a better way to handle this now then she had probably thought of something better than our first plan.


    ¡°Ok what do you think we should do now then?¡± (Waynor)


    I felt Instinct begin to open the connection between us and I let it happen, she was having a harder time initiating our connection through our bond the more time that passed. That worried me, but Instinct said that was just because my own will was growing more powerful and independent all the time. Apparently that was a good thing and as long as I could still make the connection between us then I guess it was fine, but it still worried me a little.


    Here is what I was thinking we could do¡­ (Instinct)


    I felt as Instinct sent all of her thoughts and ideas through our bond. Some of the things she was considering were dangerous, they could even lead to Instinct hurting herself if she wasn¡¯t careful.


    ¡­Are you sure that this is the best way?


    Yes, it¡¯s the fastest way and it¡¯ll help me establish myself a bit more as well. As I am now I can¡¯t fulfil my purpose to the level I know I could. (Instinct)


    But you would be putting yourself in danger, if you want more power I could give it to you like always. You just have to tell me how much you want and I¡¯ll send it to your core¡­


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Waynor, we can¡¯t go on like that forever¡­ (Instinct)


    Why not? We¡¯ve been fine like this until now, what makes this the moment that things should change anyway? And why does that change have to be so dangerous for you?


    Well nothing about this moment matters other than it being convenient in letting us deal with two issues at once. This would¡¯ve needed to happen eventually anyway, you¡¯ve felt it right? How flawed I had made this core body, how my access has been slowly decreasing¡­ (Instinct)


    I had noticed, that was the day I had started giving Instinct power to use on her own. I did that because she had begun to lose the ability to use any of the power I stored in my own core. Then there was of course how our connection was becoming more one way by the day, Instinct was losing something and that loss was beginning to affect her for the worse. I understood that, I also understood that she was the only one who could fix herself but I still didn¡¯t like that there was a risk to her core.


    Does it really have to be now?


    Doing it now would ¡°Kill two birds with one stone¡± as the humans say, it¡¯s convenient that¡¯s all¡­ (Instinct)


    It was remarkably convenient, Instinct could fix herself and we could use the access power and residue to wake up and begin to alter and heal Ulisus. It was very convenient, and the more I thought about the idea the less against it I was. Instinct was careful, she was more knowledgeable about how dungeons like us work than I was, and Instinct could always stop if things begin to become dangerous for her. Yes there was a danger to her core, but that danger could be avoided as long as she was careful.


    Fine, as long as you¡¯re careful and stop before there is a danger of breaking your core¡­


    I will, don¡¯t worry Waynor I know exactly what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯ll also watch over the dungeon while you are dormant¡­ (Instinct)


    Wake me when Hanna is done sleeping, I really want to be there for the rest of this ¡°contractual process¡± thing she has been telling me about. It¡¯s a lot more complicated than just making a contract or deal like I thought it would be, it¡¯s kinda fun to watch¡­


    I¡¯ll be sure to wake you the moment Hanna is up Waynor, you won¡¯t miss a single moment of what you want to see I promise¡­ (Instinct)


    Ok then. I guess we can begin the next step after the guests leave, it can be a surprise for Hanna¡­ Good idea about moving him to the entrance before we start too, I hadn¡¯t even thought of some of those problems you brought up, Instinct¡­


    Yes, well that is my purpose. To exist and by existing aid you in any and all things you may require¡­ (Instinct)


    I broke off our connection as I felt the amount of conviction and dedication in her response begin to pain my core. It was fine, Instinct would handle things and then when her core was fixed I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her anymore.


    That¡¯s good, maybe I should start to grow my own core soon just so that some similar core problem doesn¡¯t happen to me¡­


    I looked at the shining silver orb the size of a small pebble resting on instincts perfectly sculpted hands, I hadn¡¯t really thought growing it was a priority but it would be nice for my core to be larger and stronger. Maybe the size of the memory orb I made, that would be a nice safe size for now.


    ¡°Alright Instinct, I¡¯ll be going dormant now. Be careful and watch over things while I¡¯m dormant.¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°I will Waynor, have a nice rest yourself¡­¡± (Instinct)


    I sent my will back into my core for the first time in more years than I bothered to track, I was sure that my dungeon was in good care under Instinct. Even if my guests ended up becoming a problem, she could just kill them. After all I could always get more guests to visit me.


    As I willed myself to go dormant for six hours, I felt a dark warmth envelop me and all of my senses connecting me to the world outside of my core fade away. Soon even my thoughts became hazy until they to faded away¡­¡­..


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Instinct


    <hr />


    I hadn¡¯t liked any part of that, I had been careful to make sure I hadn¡¯t lied to Waynor in any way, but I was still deceiving him. I hated that, this wasn¡¯t some silly prank or trick I was playing that I knew he would look past, I had intentionally deceived him by omitting the main reasons behind my plans. I had wanted to wait until I was separate enough from Waynor that I could remake my core without having to have him go dormant to avoid it hurting his own core, but that couldn¡¯t be helped now.


    Of course I can¡¯t wait that long though, not now that I have to help stupid Loria with her plan so that Ulisus never poses a threat to Waynor¡­ Damn, well at least doing this now means I can stop holding Waynor back sooner than I had been planning¡­


    It was a hard truth that I had to face, my core body was a rushed job made by my earliest personality still affected by the broken remnants of a fragmented dungeon will in a frantic and panicked attempt to accomplish something that I knew next to nothing about at the time. Of course such a core was flawed, and for the past twenty years it had been deteriorating and losing access to Waynor, his power, and his dungeon. At this point I was nothing more than a parasite leeching more and more power from him so that I can do anything at all, that wasn¡¯t what I had intended this core to be like. It was a problem with how I had first designed my core to function, and now that I knew better I could fix that problem and improve the function of my core.


    But first I have to let her know what¡¯s happened and that she can start her next phase¡­ Loria better hope that this works out like she planned, otherwise I¡¯ll bet Waynor will be far from happy with her¡­ Maybe she¡¯ll even lose her right to choose her own evolutionary path¡­


    I projected my will and sent it to stand right next to where Loria had been sitting in the house Waynor made for her. It was as lavish as I had expected it to be with the interior being done in light colors and having open designs accented with plants and vines that seemed to be a part of the house itself. It was as amazing and beautiful as I had come to expect from everything that Waynor made, and unfortunately it perfectly matched and complimented the one that lived here.


    ¡°Loria, Waynor is dormant right now, you are free to do whatever it is you wanted without him knowing about it. He¡¯s also agreed to move Ulisus to the entrance of the dungeon and begin the next step to saving his life once the explorers leave. You¡¯ll have a few moments before Waynor and I flood the human with enough power and core pieces to overwrite any blessings the gods may have over him, if you don¡¯t kill him within that window than you won¡¯t be able to without getting Waynor involved.


    With this I¡¯ve done my part, the rest is up to you and I hope you understand that I will be telling Waynor about all this once Ulisus is dead.¡± (Instinct)


    Loria didn¡¯t even bother to look at me when she responded.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll happily explain everything to Lord Waynor myself after Ulisus is dead and gone. I¡¯ll also face any punishment he has for me, and I¡¯ll face it gladly¡­¡± (Loria)


    I cast my gaze over to my two muses, they were quietly listening to our conversation and as I had ordered they were keeping what they heard to themselves unless Waynor himself specifically asked. Yula and Tula were my masterpieces, beautiful, loyal, intelligent and utterly uninterested in Waynor romantically. They were made to the exact base design Waynor set for muses, with only the random feature differences that I gave them and their petite figures separating them from being exact copies of Loria¡¯s own appearance. These two were quieter than I thought they would¡¯ve been given Loria¡¯s pension to talk, but I thought that might be an improvement so it was welcome.


    ¡°Yula, accompany Loria in whatever it is she plans to do. If she oversteps herself please do kill her, whatever the cost to yourself.¡± (Instinct)


    The muse girl gracefully bowed her head at that and when she spoke her voice was as clear and melodically perfect as I remembered.


    ¡°Of course Mistriss Instinct, though I may be unable to kill her on my own.¡± (Yula)


    I had considered that, but unfortunately I couldn¡¯t send both Yula and Tula together, I wanted at least one of them here just in case one of the explorers decided to try something.


    ¡°Do the best you are capable of, that alone will be fine. I have confidence that you will manage if things come to that point. Now, I¡¯ll be leaving and I won¡¯t be watching you as I have a matter that will be far more important and will require much of my focus.¡± (Instinct)


    Loria stood up and began walking to the door out of the house.


    ¡°I understand, so you won¡¯t see, hear, or know about anything I may do in case Lord Waynor asks. No need to be troubled by that, I am after all a trusted servant of Lord Waynor as well¡­¡± (Loria)


    I returned myself to my core before she even reached the door. I really wasn¡¯t fond of that woman, and I liked dealing with her even less.


    Alright, enough thinking about that now¡­ This will be pretty painful, but I should be able to manage it in one shot. Hopefully I don¡¯t destroy myself in the process, that would be rather embarrassing and I¡¯m sure it would upset Waynor when he wakes up¡­


    I opened my fragmented excuse for a dungeon menu and got ready to entirely recreate my core without actually breaking it.


    [ Name: Instinct ]


    [ Titles: ¡°Former Dungeon of Twisted Memory¡±, ¡°Aid of Waynor¡±, ¡°Faux-Dungeon¡± ]


    [ Dungeon Views: {invaders (Threat)} {Overview} {Shared} {Targeted individuals} ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 1232} { Animus: 2031} ]


    [ Class: ??? ]       [ State: False Core]


    Yep, it¡¯s still missing a lot, but I should be able to change that now¡­ Maybe the best way to do this would be to draw power through Waynor instead of just from him, and I¡¯ll need to reinforce our connection while dampening the emotional feedback he receives from me so that it¡¯ll cut off before it becomes painful for Waynor¡­ Well this is going to be pretty painful¡­ Probably best if I do it very fast and very carefully¡­


    I gathered up all the power in my core and channeled it to begin breakdown my core into its basest materials, all the while enduring an agony that was beyond understanding. I almost let myself go dormant, I almost allowed my will to drift off and embrace death, but instead I fought through my agony. I used it to heighten my focus and hone my work to its utmost perfection.


    My will entered a strange state of duality, while one aspect of all I was suffered an experience worse than imagining the other aspect of all I was had complete focus on what it was creating and holding itself in this state of almost existence. I couldn¡¯t tell if I was working quickly anymore, I couldn¡¯t spare any of myself to consider the concept of time. I couldn¡¯t spare any of myself to consider any concepts that were not directly related to what I was doing in this moment, I couldn¡¯t even spare enough of myself to recognize that this could be a problem¡­


    <hr />


    [ Name: Instinct ]


    [ Titles: ¡°Sub-Dungeon¡±, ¡°Aid of Waynor¡±, ¡°Linked Dungeon Will¡± ]


    [ Rank: Linked (Waynor) ]             [ Dominion Level: N/A ]


    [ Territory: Linked (Waynor) ]                     [ Dungeon Views: {invaders (Threat)} {Overview} {Shared} {Targeted individuals} ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 0} { Animus: 0} ]


    [ Class: ??? ]       [ State: Damaged Core]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: (Expansion) (Building) (Decoration) (Design) (Trap Creation) (Core Growth) (Core Repair)}                    {Animus: (Dungeon Lord Creation) (Inhabitant Creation) (Soulstone Creation/Granting) (Name Bestowal) (Mutation/Evolution Management) (Core Growth) (Core Repair)} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: (Magic) (Deconstruction) (Siphoning) (Absorption) (Portation) (Teleportation) (Automatic Item/Magic Recycling)}          {Animus: (Siphoning) (Absorption) (Remodification/Recreation) (Automatic Life Recycling)} ]


    [ Unique Ability Options: (Adaptive Database) (Adaptive Power Comprehension) (Adaptive Omni-Language processes) (Dimensional Mastery) (Memory Domination) ]


    [ Stored/Owned Bosses: {Muse: 2} ]


    [ Listed Known Creations: {6} ]


    It hurt to do much of anything at this point, but I couldn¡¯t let myself go dormant. Instead I just did my best to ignore the pain and focus on absorbing power, it was interesting how that occurred now. Power was channeled through Waynor and then some of that power made it¡¯s way into my core, this was far better than what it was before. Now I could add to Waynor¡¯s power instead of detracting from it, and it seemed I was capable of more independent actions than I was before though I still needed Waynor¡¯s approval to carry out any of those actions.


    I have more abilities now, and there¡¯s even stuff I¡¯ve never seen before¡­ this must be what Waynor was talking about, I wonder if I never had them before because I was a born dungeon and my dominion level was too low¡­ I guess self-created dungeons have a lot less restrictions to their menu, but then again they didn¡¯t have parents to set those restrictions so I guess that makes sense¡­


    As I gathered power and used it to repair my core, I contemplated all the changes I had gone through. I was still the same will that I was before, but once again I had improved myself beyond the prior Instinct. This time however I seem to have merged the new improved version of myself with the important aspects of my old self, things like memories, personality, desires, emotions, and concepts were kept and everything unimportant was cast aside.


    As I projected my will out and looked at what my core looked like now, I was shocked by how little about it had actually changed. All that was different now was that instead of the six legs that once supported the sculpted hands there was now a solid glossy pedestal bottom with a wavy shimmer to its surface, and those sculpted hands were now attached to flawless and beautiful sculpted arms reaching out from the pedestal bottom. The effect was like looking at a woman reaching out of pristine water to uphold Waynor¡¯s core in utterly devoted supplication even as the rest of her body was below the surface and she undoubtedly must be drowning. It conveyed a sense of majesty, holiness, and sacrifice that seemed perfect to support and accent Waynor¡¯s own core.


    I reached out the hands of my manifested astral projection, it was exactly the same as the sculpted silver hands joined in a cupped pose to hold Waynor¡¯s core. Every detail other than color was exactly the same, one set of hands was a wonderful and faintly glowing silver platinum and the other set was the milky color of pale flesh. Both were mine, and both existed to support that small perfect core whose silver platinum was only broken by the faintest hints of cobalt blue. I held my hands just above Waynor¡¯s core, I couldn¡¯t touch him or feel him like this, not truly, but as I was now I could actually make a dungeon lord body for myself.


    And then, then I¡¯ll be able to truly touch you¡­ To defend you myself without having to depend on one of your creations to do it for me¡­ To do so many things that I can¡¯t do now¡­


    I moved back and let my astral projection dissipate as I returned my will to my core.


    And maybe then I¡¯ll be able to explain to you just what I feel, and have you understand just how much that means my dear Waynor¡­ But until then, I¡¯ll content myself with this¡­


    I could feel that Loria had returned to her house and that Yula was still with her, so whatever she set out to do must be over now. I had mixed feelings about Loria now, I didn¡¯t hate her nearly as much as I had previously but still the idea of Waynor favoring her over me made me vastly uncomfortable. It would probably take me time to sort through my new self and to discover just who I was now compared to who I was before, but there were a few things that were absolutely certain inside me.


    I was Instinct, my purpose was to exist and by existing aid Waynor in any and all things he may require.


    I was Instinct, and I loved the one I served more than anything else in existence.


    I was Instinct, and no matter whatever else may come or how I may change these three things were utter Absolutes of my existence that would never waver or change.


    And I¡¯m going to be in so much trouble when Waynor wakes up and sees all these cracks on my core¡­ There is no way I¡¯ll be able to restore myself in time at this rate¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


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    Yep so that''s the chapter..... Now i bet most of you are like "Wait... Huh? but i thought.... WTF?" well i know exactly what i just wrote and it does make sense and it is what i planned for the plot..... Speaking of if you have a minute to kill pop on over to my site to vote on this month''s poll... It''s about who you predict will die in Volume 1 of D.I.....


    and now my question to the fans is simple (Or is it?): "Nora? Explain if you dare..."


    as always comment, rate, review, follow, favorite, share, and check out my site......


    as a side note, how is it possible that Reborn as a nine-tailed fox has more followers than D.I.? i mean i can kinda get the more views thing, but more FOLLOWERS!?!?! i mean REALLY!?!?!? i have lost more faith in humanity this day, but i guess that''s what the Author get''s for daring to stop writing and look for something to read for once....


    anyway i''m done with that, just a bit of a rant..... might not be able to post tomorrow as i got something important IRL and after that imma need to catch up on my missed sleep.... then again i might post anyway because i''m crazy and on a role here.... Who knows?


    [th_0gotas.gif]


    Author out...........

 Chapter 16: A contractual connection and the new laws of the land

    So here we are 3 chapters into the 5 chapter flood...... shame to say imma have to slow it down a bit since Friday i have to do something IRL for school, and tomorrow (Technically today now......) i''m on puppy sitting duty... It is incredibly difficult to type with a puppy trting to eat your hands, your laptop, and your feet in turns... trust me i''ve tried before.... anyway i should still be able to manage the five chapters i promised this week, and i''ll probably be able to bring ark 2 entirely to a close....


    anyway on to this chapter, thanks for the person who brought up the thing about tariffs because i totally forgot about those, but they wont come into play until later on anyway......


    oh and i could use the help of some of you more dedicated readers, I know i''ve used some gods and dropped their names in places along the way in this story (Like Cecilia''s backstory and when Waynor showed Hanna his first level for the first time....) and i''d really like to get a compendium of all the gods i''ve mentioned and what they govern so i dont end up bogging down the world of Eserthet with countless Divines and Celestia all mismatched together.... that might work for B.B. since it''s set on an origin world in my multiverse, but the world of Eserthet is different and has more clearly defined limits on the higher beings that make up the gods...... feel free to leave any you find in the comments of future chapters....


    Anyway wont really be editing this blah blah blah


    comment soon so i can sleep in peace blah blah blah


    [({Also big shout out to Xagnam for organizing what looks to be a complete compendium of D.I. characters.... even going so far as Side characters? THAT is some serious dedication.... if i ever figure out how to add something like that to my site it''s going up for sure with credits to you bud.....})]


    Here be your chapter:


    ENJOY!!!


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    <hr />


    Feris


    <hr />


    I had to wait until I was sure that the rest of the party was actually asleep before I let myself actually talk to Nora, even still I spoke quietly since explorers at Johana, Erica, and Darek¡¯s ranks were usually light sleepers out of necessity. I¡¯m sure I could always play things off if I was caught, but it was better to do what I could not to take that chance. It was never a good sign when you wake up and find one of your party members seemingly talking to themselves after all, worst case scenario they might just suspect I was actually talking to something. That wouldn¡¯t end well for Nora and probably not for me either.


    I sat up on my bed and looked at Nora who was leaning against the wall across from me playing with her fingers like she always did when she was bored. I still couldn¡¯t get over how great it was to see her again, even if it was only as the ghost and spirit of the girl she was when she was alive. Nora was Nora, and since the teachings of Palusita said that all that matters is a person¡¯s soul and not their body Nora being dead didn¡¯t mean she wasn¡¯t still herself. If the goddess of death herself told that to her followers, it had to be right and Nora being her was just more proof of that fact. I was even considering devoutly praying to Palusita from now on, that was how grateful I was to be with Nora again even if she was only a spirit and soul.


    ¡°So do you have any idea on how I should pull this off, Nora? I mean I don¡¯t even know where this guy actually is¡­¡± (Feris)


    ¡°Well I know that he¡¯s somewhere in this dungeon, Loria told me that much and plus I can feel my resentment pulling me to him here.¡± (Nora)


    ¡°Loria told you huh¡­ Who is that woman exactly? I mean she could see you and she even helped me to do the same with those¡­ visions¡­¡± (Feris)


    I suppressed the shiver that tried to creep up my spine, it had been absolutely dreadful watching the events of my past unfold from the eyes of my past self. It was like I was reliving it all over again, and losing Nora again was a hell I had never imagined having to go through. Still I was grateful to the woman, Loria had shown me just what I needed to see and helped reunite Nora and I. Her ¡°trial¡± had also strengthened my resolve to never lose Nora ever again.


    Still I wouldn¡¯t ever want to go through that again, the past is far too painful in too many places¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t really know who or what Loria is, but I do know that she wants Ulisus dead just as much as I do. I think we can trust her at least in regards to that, but I¡¯d be careful not to stay around her too much. She just seems¡­ off somehow¡­¡± (Nora)


    ¡°I¡¯d like to think you and Feris could trust me fully Nora, but I suppose that is a bit much to ask after just one meeting¡­¡± (Loria)


    I looked beside me at the sound of that soft melodic voice, Loria and another girl that could¡¯ve been her younger sister were standing next to my bed. I hadn¡¯t even noticed that they were there until now, let alone when or how they got there, and with my senses and perception that was saying something. I unconsciously began to reach for the twin daggers I kept on me at all times, things like this were why any smart explorers and thieves slept in their equipment out in the field. I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around whatever possessed Cecilia to sleep in just her under clothes inside a dungeon pf all places, but then again I seriously thought there was something wrong with that elf¡¯s head.


    Neither of them seem like fighters, but they clearly both have magic beyond anything I can handle on my own¡­ Alright calm down, there¡¯s no need to think they¡¯re here to cause any harm. Loria helped me more than anyone else has before, after all she¡¯s the person who reunited Nora and I¡­


    I relaxed myself slightly, but I still kept my hands near the daggers sheathed at my waist and back. Only a fool trusted strangers completely, a smart person stayed careful and prepared for the worst while hoping for it not to happen. That¡¯s something that was ingrained in the thieves of Rez¡¯aufor from their earliest training days, and that was a mindset that has supported me countless times over both my time as a thief and an explorer.


    ¡°Ah, Loria what brings you here? Feris and I were just talking about you!¡± (Nora)


    Nora stepped away from the wall and had turned on her charming mask persona just as easily as she could in the past, that act of hers had gotten us both out of so much and kept us from getting caught more times than I could count. It hadn¡¯t worked when that last time when we needed it the most, but that still didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t a good act.


    ¡°Yes I noticed, regardless I have something to discuss with you both. If you would please come with me, I shall port us somewhere more private where we can talk without the chance of waking your friends¡­¡± (Loria)


    I sent a quick nod to Nora, it was clear enough that Loria wasn¡¯t buying the act and she didn¡¯t particularly care that we had been talking about her. There was no point in caring on the act at this point, in fact doing so would probably just prolong things and annoy the woman if we hadn¡¯t already.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go then¡­¡± (Feris)


    Remembering how being ported worked from earilier today, I braced myself for the transition as the hazy portal of mana opened up in front of the two shimmery haired women. As Loria gestured for us to go through first, I stood up and walked through the portal with Nora following along close behind me.


    On the other side I saw the grand entrance of the dungeon, looking around the entrance room I noticed that it was the same as it was before. Even the scuffs I purposely put into the floor with my reinforced boot heels were gone, that didn¡¯t bode well for anyone using marks to navigate the floors of this dungeon. I could easily imagine a future floor with cave like walls that repaired themselves and all looked the same, if that floor was anywhere near the size of the meadow like floors the party toured today it would be a deathtrap for any unprepared.


    ¡°Feris, be careful around Loria, she has some sort of mental influence on everything around her. I¡¯ll try shielding you from it as best I can, but she is a lot stronger than I am and in this place she has far more influence as well¡­¡± (Nora)


    I looked back at Nora in shock, Loria having some sort of mental influence isn¡¯t all that surprising she is a dungeon boss after all but it being so strong not even a ghost could deal with it¡­


    Undead of the specter sub-class like ghosts, phantoms, and wraiths are supposed to have really strong mental powers and affinities¡­ If a ghost like Nora can¡¯t handle Loria¡¯s abilities then she must have mental power akin to high specters, maybe even beholders¡­ That makes her dangerous in one of the few ways I can¡¯t do anything about, I guess that¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t seem to have any real skill for combat¡­ Loria wouldn¡¯t need it considering an ability at that level¡­


    I had never been good with dealing with mind effects, bewitchments and illusions always seemed to see right through my mask and get to the real me in a way I could never seem to shake. That was the real reason I avoided missions dealing with the undead since so many of them had abilities like that, when a simple corrupted spirit could bring you down let alone anything powerful like a lich undead became a problem. I think that problem might be a bit better now that I was with Nora again and I wasn¡¯t so dead inside, but I was confident that would mean less that nothing if Loria was as powerful as I was thinking she was.


    When Loria and the girl with her stepped through the portal I did my utmost to blank out my mind, I thought of nothing that held any real importance to me and hoped that coupled with whatever protection Nora could give me would be enough. I doubt it would be if Loria really wanted to do something to us, but then she didn¡¯t seem to intend to do that here.


    Well I guess that explains why that vision was so realistic, and how it perfectly reflected my past¡­ Shit, I have to control my thoughts better than this! That pork I had before was really good¡­ I kinda need to piss¡­ Huh, I wonder why their eyes keep shifting color like that? And their hair kinda does that too now that I look closer¡­


    ¡°You can relax Feris, Nora, I have already seen much of both of your inner thoughts and I assure you that my powers are not nearly as great as you seem to believe. My kind¡¯s mental powers extend mostly to perceiving and not altering the minds and thoughts of others, I doubt I could do much of anything to the¡­ Two of you¡­¡± (Loria)


    The younger girl next to Loria looked up at her in apparent confusion for a moment before turning away and walking to a nearby table and sitting down. It seemed that she had little to no interest in whatever was happening, and even seemed disinterested in Nora and I. I kept her in my view just in case, but I had a feeling that she wasn¡¯t really here for us, it was almost like she was here keeping watch of Loria given the way she seemed solely focused on the woman.


    ¡°Words of comfort like that, but you must know that their coming from the person herself makes them meaningless¡­¡± (Nora)


    I had to agree with Nora, and as I moved closer and slightly in front of where she was standing I said as much.


    ¡°Exactly. If you were human, I would have you swear an oath to Balhasard that what you said was the truth, but you aren¡¯t human, elf, beastkin, or any of the other races are you?¡± (Feris)


    Loria just smiled at that and shook her head.


    ¡°No I very much am not of any of the races of outside world¡­ I am what is known as a muse, a creature created by my Lord Waynor. My kind has more in common with pixies and fairies than we do with any of your seven races¡­¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Then it seems we have a bit of a trust issue here don¡¯t we¡­¡± (Feris)


    I glanced back at Nora, she was wearing the calm expression with those determined eyes that I remembered. It was the look she had whenever we were working a serious job, or when we got into trouble. It also reminded me that she was back with me and all this was real, not just some elaborate dream. I briefly considered that she could be some construct that was projected on my mind, but I quickly dismissed that idea. That was simply impossible, every explorer rank C or above was trained to deal with illusions or bewitchments. The only real absolute to that training was that no illusion or bewitchment could be too detailed, it was just an impossibility as a person¡¯s mind wouldn¡¯t be able to take in that much detail from a single source without recognizing it as foreign. That¡¯s why we were trained to look for the subtle details of anything we thought was an illusion or bewitchment, I could still vividly remember how realistic Loria¡¯s illusions were but the key was they weren¡¯t intricately detailed. They showed enough to be believable but if you focused and looked closely you could still pick them apart.


    Nora was detailed, she had all the little imperfections that something real would have. She had depth that didn¡¯t remain exactly the same when I only used one eye to look at her, and if I focused I could see the birth mark she had just under her right ear through her hair. Nora wasn¡¯t an illusion or some bewitchment fantasy, but that just meant that she was really here and in just as much danger as I was from Loria¡¯s abilities.


    "I can¡¯t trust you not to fuck with either of our minds, and that means I can¡¯t really trust whatever it is you wanted to talk about to be the truth either. Look I¡¯m grateful to you, really I am, so if you want me to return the favor some time I¡¯ll be sure to do it if I can but I think it¡¯s best we stay away from things with powers like yours¡­¡± (Feris)


    There were a few common ways to kill specter type undead, physical attacks were usually useless against them but magic worked on them just fine. Practically every type of magic worked on them and quite a few were especially deadly against them as undead, mind magic and mental abilities didn¡¯t fall into the especially deadly category but it could still hurt and kill something like a ghost. I had been avoiding Cecilia as much as I could without it seeming strange for the sole reason that a misplaced healing spell could wipe Nora out for good, so there was no way I was going to let an unknown factor capable of doing harm to Nora anywhere near her.


    ¡°Hmm, well that would be a problem. I assume my swearing to my lord that I am speaking the truth won¡¯t be enough for either of you?¡± (Loria)


    ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t. We have no idea what an oath like that would mean to you or if it could be trusted. Since you aren¡¯t one of the races any oath you make in the name of Balhasard aren¡¯t enforced, There isn¡¯t much of anything you can do to get us to actually trust you here¡­¡± (Nora)


    The woman just laughed softly at that, then she meet our eyes directly in turn.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t trust me, I¡¯m here to use you after all. Everything has some level of give and take, and I have given much with much more still to offer in return for what I want from the both of you. That is an exchange that doesn¡¯t require much trust for you to believe now does it? I have nothing to gain from making enemies of you both until I have what I want after all¡­¡± (Loria)


    That did make sense, but still it wasn¡¯t something that I was willing to risk losing Nora over.


    ¡°And what would you want us for, Loria? What would you possibly need us for that you couldn¡¯t just handle yourself with your powers?¡± (Nora)


    I looked at Nora in shock, I almost thought that she was being effected by whatever mind powers Loria possessed but she sent me a look that told me that wasn¡¯t the case. She started to signal to me and as I read what she was signaling it dawned on me that she was right. She signaled: she has already brought us together. That was part of her give and take and she can probably separate us again if we don¡¯t uphold our end. We are already trapped.


    In other words we have to play along with this arrangement or else risk Loria doing something to us¡­ At least while we are in the dungeon, we¡¯re at her mercy, huh?


    Loria smiled a smile that would normally look sweet on someone else, but on her in this situation I could only see it as mocking.


    ¡°Oh, it seems you are getting the wrong idea here. No, if things were how you both seem to be thinking our arrangement would hold no weight with either of you once you left. That would be meaningless, no I will motivate you with what I can offer not with what I can take away. I think that will go along much better in the long term.¡± (Loria)


    I hadn¡¯t been expecting that, and it peaked my curiosity just enough for me to bite.


    ¡°And what could you possibly offer us that would be worth the risk of working with you, especially considering what you can do just by being near us?¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Well to start how about an actual body for Nora here?¡± (Loria)


    With that one sentence she had frozen me. All my opposition, all my worries, they all paled in comparison to that single possibility. There were ways to raise the dead, necromancy and soulmancy were the ones I knew of but these always perverted the dead into monsters and usually didn¡¯t actually bring back what you wanted. Soulmancy could find the soul of a dead person if it was still in this world, but most times they couldn¡¯t place a soul into a body without it changing entirely, being wiped clean, or simply breaking in places. Necromancy could create and raise undead, but that usually used false souls or something similar and only really resulted in undead monsters. If there was a better way to actually give Nora¡¯s soul a body without any sort of problems¡­


    It would be like she came back to life¡­ Gods, that would be a miracle beyond measure¡­


    I would happily make any sort of deal or do whatever I had to do to make something like that happen, but who was to say it really would? Loria could be dangling whatever she thought I wanted most in front of me without actually having the ability to do anything to make it happen, after all if she could read my mind it wouldn¡¯t be hard to guess what would motivate me. What would cause me to throw all concerns to the wind and do whatever she asked of me, it wouldn¡¯t be hard at all.


    ¡°Oh, and what makes you suddenly able to do something beyond even the gods? Last time I checked truly resurrecting the long dead was impossible.¡± (Nora)


    The woman just smiled that same smile again.


    ¡°For me? Yes, yes it would, but my lord is an entirely different story. Dungeons in many ways are even greater than the divine, even the celestia. Essentially even the weakest of dungeons can surpass even the greatest of your gods, creating a suitable body and moving a loose soul into said body without damaging or altering it would be child¡¯s play for Lord Waynor¡­¡±  (Loria)


    I quickly tried to recall everything I had ever learned or heard about dungeons, they were mysterious things that no one seemed able to fully explain. People have dedicated lifetimes to researching them, and still we knew only the basest details about them. Some of the greatest mages alive could make artificial dungeons, but those were as different to natural dungeons as cats were to nightstalkers. No one really knew how dungeons did all the things that they did, there were theories but even with all the research on them nothing was sure to be a fact and many of the theories contradicted each other.


    Dungeons have been said to have incredibly deep connections with souls with the way they can make life and soulstones so easily¡­ There have been times that explorers were brought back as undead seemingly no different than they were before too¡­ Maybe it actually is possible? If it is¡­


    Nora had been quiet for quite a while since Loria brought up that point, she might know just much about what a dungeon is capable of as I do if not more. She has been technically haunting me since she died, she has probably heard more than I ever did since she would have been unnoticed as a ghost with such a weak presence.


    ¡°C-can he¡­ Can Waynor really do something like that? Bring Nora back to life, give her a body?¡± (Feris)


    The smile got bigger and I realized that we had just become this woman¡¯s pawns, she had us in the palm of her hand and she knew that she did. I would do anything to get Nora another chance at life, even if it meant becoming the pawn of a monster. I would do it, and I would do it happily.


    ¡°Oh yes, my lord is more than capable of something as simple as that. He plans to do something far more complicated to save the life of Ulisus after all, which brings me to what I want from you right now¡­¡± (Loria)


    The muse stepped closer to us and placed a hand on my right shoulder and held a hand over Noras left shoulder. She looked at both of us with a serious expression that I had never seen on her before.


    ¡°Ulisus is Hanna¡¯s brother, but he is also a direct threat to my lord Waynor. I want him dead and so do the both of you, so I believe we should help each other on this point. In a show of good faith I¡¯ll tell you a simple way to make it even easier for Nora¡¯s soul to be accepted into a new body¡­¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Why are you doing all of this? Why go through so much trouble?¡± (Nora)


    Loria looked slightly confused for a moment before the smile returned to her face and she looked at Nora.


    ¡°For a variety of reasons, mostly I feel that both you and Feris would make wonderful assets to my lord and I have taken an interest in you both. About Ulisus, well¡­ All you really need to know is that it is best that Hanna sees that a human is the one who kills her brother¡­¡± (Loria)


    She stepped away from us and gestured for us to sit at the nearby small table. As Nora and I both sat down in a state of mixed shock and acceptance she began to speak as she took her own seat calmly.


    ¡°Now listen closely, this is what you will need to do¡­¡± (Loria)


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    Hanna


    <hr />


    The day had started off rather different, Waynor wasn¡¯t as concerned with how I looked, Instinct was actually fairly nice to me, and eating breakfast with a group of explorers was an experience in and of itself. I was of course fairly preoccupied myself as I was running the agreed upon terms of yesterday¡¯s talks so often I was fairly sure I dreamed about them.


    I don¡¯t think I said much at all to anyone besides maybe Waynor as I went over in my head the best ways to phrase the terms of this contract, if I did say anything I couldn¡¯t remember what it was and it wasn¡¯t of any real importance. I went through the motions of eating almost entirely unconsciously, my trance broken constantly as I savored some new taste of deliciousness I put into my mouth before returning to the issues circling in my mind.


    I really need to start writing this out, if I keep thinking about things like this I¡¯m going to go insane¡­ I wonder if I can just excuse myself?


    I looked down to see a half full plate of fried eggs with cheese and spiced bacon in front of me, and an utterly empty plate off to the side. I hadn¡¯t even noticed how much I had eaten, I always stuck to just one plate of Waynor¡¯s breakfasts so that I didn¡¯t have to do extra exercises later on. Waynor was very insistent on maintain my health and figure, and eating more than what he considered a full meal lead to increased activity to work off what Waynor considered access nutrition. It was times like this I envied Loria and her ability to eat as much as she wanted with no consequences or effect to her nutrition, but that envy still wasn¡¯t enough to make me agree to cast aside my humanity and become a creature of Waynor¡¯s dungeon.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Wiping my hands and mouth before standing up, I quickly excused myself before I began to walk toward the room that I was beginning to think of as the dungeon¡¯s official business relations room. As I went I saw Waynor¡¯s silver and blue orb following along behind me, he had seemed a bit troubled earlier this morning but now he seemed fine. I assumed he was just a bit anxious, I sure as hell was.


    Ok, now comes the hard part¡­ I have to write this in a way that is both amicable and shows that we are open to further negotiation and contracts, but are also open to dealing with other outside parties without making the explorer¡¯s guild fell ousted¡­ I hate writing contracts myself, I miss having people to delegate this sort of thing to¡­


    As I entered the room I found normal paper and a quill with ink waiting were I had sat yesterday. Sitting at that spot and dabbing the quill in ink I began with a simple abstract of the contracts agreed upon terms. Waynor was watching me quietly as he hovered above the table, he was being more quiet than usual but maybe that was just because he was so focused on learning about what I was doing.


    As I wrote I felt the language and phrasing of the contract come to me, and Waynor created more pages for me to write on asking only a few questions about the contracts wording and to clarify what some of the terms would mean in regards to him exactly. It took a few hours but when I was finally done with it I decided to send it over to Johana for her to look over and approve of. It was handed back to me by a very tired looking Johana in a few hours with a few revisions that I was impressed she noticed, and with my final approval and the addition of a list of laws that Waynor and I decided on Waynor began to work on making the copies.


    I watched as paper formed out of nothing with ink already on it in calligraphy so elegant and beautiful it made mine look like the scratches of a headless drunken chicken, it was clear and easy to read as well. Waynor had made each of the fifty copies of the contract individual and signed them with his own signature which somehow looked even better than the rest of his stylized writing.


    As he left to go bring the explorers in for their signatures I signed my own name as Waynor¡¯s designated representative and only had one thought.


    ¡­It just isn¡¯t fair, I spend three and a half hours painstakingly writing one contract, and then he makes fifty copies of that same contract with better calligraphy in less than an hour¡­ If Waynor learns to do the actual negotiating and contractual writing processes wont I be utterly unnecessary? My value to the dungeon can¡¯t just be as being a pet¡­. Er, I mean as a human resident¡­.


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Johana


    <hr />


    I had read the eighteen page contract once already and just that one read through was almost enough to melt my brain, that¡¯s why I only confirmed that all fifty of the copies of that same contract were the same as the contract I had approved of and that the only magic in them were the binding and transport magic that were supposed to be there. It was a long and tiresome job, but I was the only one who could do it since I was the guild¡¯s representative.


    What made it worse was I still had to read the laws that they drew up, I wouldn¡¯t sign anything if there was anything in the laws they came up with that would go against the principles of the guild. Even still I was pleasantly surprised by what I found while reading the laws that were put forward, they were simple and fairly non-restrictive.


    Code of Law Within the Hereto Unnamed Territory Belonging to Lord Waynor


    Law and punishment within the territory belonging to the dungeon Waynor:


    1.      Any act of unauthorized murder or slaughter, outside of measures of reasonable self-defense, committed outside of the dungeon is prohibited. Violating this law is punishable with enslavement or death.


    2.      Any act of theft outside of the dungeon is prohibited without express permission from a recognized dungeon official. Violating this law is punishable with enslavement or fine.


    3.      Any act of fraud is strictly prohibited. Violating this law is punishable with enslavement or fine.


    4.      Any act of blatant and malicious treason is strictly prohibited. Violating this law is punishable with enslavement, banishment, or death.


    5.      Any action preformed within the dungeon that is in violation of the dungeon¡¯s rules will be subject to the punishment decided upon by a recognized dungeon official. This can range from a warning and temporary removal from the dungeon to death or perhaps worse.


    6.      Any act of discrimination by race made by businesses that does not allow a certain race or races to purchase or trade goods is prohibited. Violating this law is punishable with enslavement or fine.


    7.      Any unprovoked and unauthorized assault on official dungeon personnel that have been given access to a certain area to perform a task is prohibited. Violating this law is punishable with enslavement or fine.


    8.      Any act of avoiding the mandatory annual residency tax without valid preapproval and audit is prohibited. Violating this law is punishable with fine or banishment.


    Rights and privileges of residents within the territory belonging to the dungeon Waynor:


    1.      The right of access to the dungeon and its basic entrance floor facilities.


    2.      The right to contest alleged violations and punishment in unbiased court proceeded by recognized dungeon nobility or Lord Waynor himself.


    3.      The right to contest alleged violations and punishment by means of trial by combat with an authorized dungeon combatant to be chosen that same day.


    4.      The right to own and operate independent businesses with the caveat of periodic the audits from designated official and operating said businesses within the laws of the territory.


    5.      The right to own property and slaves.


    6.      The right to purchase a homestead or rent land.


    7.      The right to freely leave the territory so long as no outstanding law violation has been committed.


    8.      The privilege of protection by means of unbiased Dungeon approved guards.


    9.      The privilege of monthly mass audiences with an authorized member of Dungeon nobility in which you may air any grievances you have or suggest new laws for the territory as a community.


    10.  The privilege to appoint your own community, town, and business representatives.


    11.  The privilege of assured rights.


    12.  The privilege of attending Dungeon operated schools for education.


    13.  The privilege to lead life as you see fit within the laws of the territory.


    I could hardly believe what I was reading, the laws were simple enough for the common people to understand and it seemed like the rights of people far exceeded the basic rights of most common citizens in the surrounding nations. Then there were the privileges, those were practically unheard of for most of the commoners of a nation.


    Education? Promoting their own representatives? It¡¯s like the reforms made by the Ros¡¯Laga republic half a century ago¡­ And these laws, these aren¡¯t the laws of a territory looking to become a large nation, they¡¯re more like the laws of a trade city or a small city-state¡­ I¡¯d have thought for sure that a dungeon would pursue creating an empire where it had total rule over everything living within, not¡­ whatever this is¡­


    As I looked up from the paper I had just read I was still trying to wrap my mind around how this was what a dungeon was proposing, it was just so far removed from what I expected. Then again after how this entire mission had gone so far I really shouldn¡¯t be surprised by that.


    I looked at Hanna where she was seated across the table with her hands clasped waiting for me to finish reading through these documents. The only explanation I could come up with for any of this was that she had convinced the dungeon will Waynor to agree to these laws somehow out of sentiment, how she did that with a dungeon I couldn¡¯t even begin to guess at.


    ¡°These laws and rights¡­¡± (Johana)


    Hanna tilted her head with a smile, it was a good look on her but ever since my meeting with Loria little things like that didn¡¯t move me at all. Hell I would bet money that Hanna could be naked right now and I wouldn¡¯t feel much about it unless she also happened to be in my lap and whispering sweet nothings in my ear, that was how much my standards had risen because of Loria¡¯s little illusionary teasing session.


    ¡°Is there a problem with them? They should guarantee a basic standard of living to all races, and I don¡¯t think there should be anything in them that goes against the views of the explorer¡¯s guild. Perhaps I was mistaken?¡± (Hanna)


    I shook my head as I slid away the many copies of the law codes scattered around me, they were all the same. Each and every one was an exact replica of one another from their contents to the magic in them, they met my approval just as the contracts had.


    ¡°No, but these don¡¯t seem like the laws of a kingdom or any other emerging nation¡­¡± (Johana)


    The girl smiled as I said that.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, we have no desire to be a nation or any such thing. In fact my side would rather like to avoid all the heavy politics of being seen like that, we are far more comfortable with being seen as an independent and sovereign trading territory. I would ask that you inform your superiors and any others concerned of such, we wish to welcome traders and profit into our lands not large scale politics¡­¡± (Hanna)


    I looked at the girl, she almost seemed to believe that would work but I could tell by the momentary waver in her voices tone that she didn¡¯t actually think it would.


    That¡¯s utterly imposable, nations will be clamoring for access to the mine constantly when they learn of it if nothing else, and that¡¯s not to mention all the nobles, business firms, guilds, and whatever else that will be joining in as well. Staying politically uninvolved would be utterly impossible, it has been since word of a dungeon able and willing to speak came to my guild branch¡­


    ¡°Very well then, everything seems in order. I¡¯m ready to sign now.¡± (Johana)


    Hanna simply got up and placed a quill and ink next to me.


    ¡°When you and each of your party members have signed in the appropriate spaces the documents will be transported to those individuals necessary for this contract to be deemed fair and valid one by one. After each of them has been signed by everyone necessary the guild should have twenty nine copies for them to hold on to and keep on record, twenty one will return and one copy of the contract and code of law will be given to you from those twenty one. The remaining twenty will be my side¡¯s to hold on to¡­¡± (Hanna)


    I nodded and just began to sign the scattered copies of the contract in front of me, I would need to call the others over soon to sign their own names as witnesses but since there was only one quill they would have to wait.


    ¡­Why did there have to be 50 contracts? Whose idea was that? I just said that there should be multiple copies¡­


    As I finished my signatures and switched out with Erica, I shook my hand in an attempt to rid it of the cramps that were in it. I could fight, draw arrows, and hold a blade with my hands all day but writing too many signatures at once always seemed to cause them to fiercely cramp up.


    As everyone took their turns signing the contracts, I let my mind wonder back to my newest favorite pastime fantasizing about the pale haired goddess called Loria who now even haunted my dreams. I heard her voice so clearly while I slept it was like she was right there in the room with me for a moment, it had taken my dream to a whole new level of depth for a while¡­


    I wonder if I¡¯m going to end up dreaming about nothing but Loria for the next few decades? Samantha wasn¡¯t nearly as¡­ well perfect, Loria is just kinda perfect¡­ as perfect as Loria, but I still had fantasies and dreams about her for eight years after our only night together¡­ I guess there could be worse things than dreaming about a goddess with a tongue like a devil¡­ What is pulling my arm?


    I brought myself out of my head to see my party standing around looking disappointed and Cecilia standing in front of me practically in tears.


    ¡°Big sis, I need help! I can¡¯t write the common for my name, please help me!¡± (Cecilia)


    I just looked at the girl for a moment.


    ¡°Then just sign in elvish¡­¡± (Johana)


    ¡°But I never learned to do that, only upper acolytes learned to write a signature in elvish the rest of us just practiced reading it and learning to make basic letters in common¡­¡± (Cecilia)


    For a moment I wondered how she managed to sign the forms to register as an explorer let alone pass the exam if she couldn¡¯t write more than a few letters in common, but then of course I remembered that Benj had sent her to me. That pretty much answered my question on its own.


    I¡¯m going to kill Benj¡­ I mean it this time, you don¡¯t send someone as green as Cecilia out on a mission¡­ Not even as a prank¡­ I guess it¡¯s a minor miracle that the girl survived this long out of her temple, maybe I can get her a nice safe position in reception back at the guild¡­ Or better yet I could find her a spouse willing to take care of her forever, that would probably be best¡­


    I resisted the urge to curse as I walked the girl through signing all of the documents, stopping only once to marvel at how they disappeared in a colorless haze whenever Cecilia finished her signature. When the table was totally clear of paper, I let out a sigh and looked up at Hanna.


    ¡°Please tell me you don¡¯t need us here anymore, I think this room is beginning to make me sick just by being in it¡­¡± (Johana)


    The girl smiled at my comment.


    ¡°You all can wait in the entrance room, the first contract that returns will be yours and then you can leave at your leisure¡­¡± (Hanna)


    I had some mixed feelings about being told that we could leave soon, but most of all I was just happy to get out of the room and away from the reminder of paperwork.


    I came to this dungeon to escape paperwork and instead I ended up doing more¡­ Why couldn¡¯t the contract have just been a verbal agreement like it was with the other two dungeons who contracted with the guild?


    As I walked out and headed for the dungeon entrance by memory my party trailing not far behind, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the representatives sent to make a contract with the dungeon of greed and the backlash dungeon had to deal with the same amount of strangeness as I had on this mission. Somehow I doubted it, I still remembered the reports that were written on those missions since I studied them for reference on my own mission. Things seemed to be fairly normal for them, there were no delicious meals being prepared by the dungeon and no guided tours.


    Waynor must be the strangest dungeon will in the world¡­ It can¡¯t just be me, although since he made Loria that might not entirely be a bad thing¡­


    <hr />


    I was looking at the opining in the rocks that lead to the strangest dungeon I¡¯d ever encountered, it didn¡¯t seem nearly obvious or elaborate enough when I knew what was inside that opining. I felt like there should be some grand immaculate doors with engraved pictures decorating it and maybe some of that colored crystal stuff lining it¡¯s sides, or at least something similar considering the interior of the dungeon.


    I tore my gaze away and focused back on the forest that would lead us back to the kingdom of Metia the city of Vel¡¯Aria and my guild branch headquarters. I had to hurry back and make my report, even if the guild heads all have their own copies of the contract and code of law.


    Hopefully I can actually get demoted back to being an actual exploring explorer again¡­ But maybe not before promoting Benj, that¡¯ll show the bastard not to fuck with me... He might just cry, that would be amazing¡­


    ¡°Alright people, our mission isn¡¯t complete until we all return to the guild in one piece! Let¡¯s get a move on!¡± (Johana)


    I disregarded the sad complaining coming from Cecilia about wanting to stay in the dungeon longer, the comments from Feris about my new attitude was sexy, and how Erica¡¯s pack seemed to be overstuffed with carefully wrapped cakes. At least Darek seemed to be serious about heading out as he began to forge ahead of the party.


    I hummed a little tune as I imagined being free of paperwork, Benj¡¯s suffering, and Loria laying on my bed making ¡°come hither¡± gestures.


    All in all I guess this mission wasn¡¯t so bad¡­ I¡¯ll have to come back to visit fairly often, maybe see if I can take Loria¡¯s ¡°trial¡± again¡­ Not a bad job Johana, not a bad job at all¡­


    ¡°Hey has anyone seen where Cecilia went?¡± (Feris)


    ¡°She¡¯s running back towards the dungeon¡­¡± (Erica)


    I sighed as I turned around to chase after our parties elven liability.


    Then again this return trip could turn out fairly long as well¡­ hopefully we can manage to move a few miles away by nightfall¡­ then again with Cecilia¡­


    I sighed again as I watched the elf tripe over her own robes and fall flat.


    Maybe we¡¯ll be really lucky and make it a mile and a half¡­¡­¡­


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    And that''s it..... Welp only one more chapter left in ark 2...... and a sidestory too i guess, those are basically chapters anyway.....


    so yep, lots of stuff for you all to think about in this chapter, but question to the fans will remain the same as last chapter: "Nora. WTF? explain it and her if you dare......" here''s a hint: Loria didn''t lie to Feris this chapter, take that as you will....


    remember to comment, rate, review, follow, favorite, share, and check my site......


    oh and i guess i might as well say this here since i cant remember if i mentioned it before, but i''m going to try publishing D.I. myself without using inkshares since, well how i want to format (I.E: Keeping the (Speaker) indicators at the end of speech and some other AaronDragon stylistic stables....) it would only work for an e-book... sorta... maybe.... meh.... and also if i kept with there plan they would release it months after the content was ready and the hardcovers would be needlessly expensive with the e-books following suit.... that just seemed kinda dumb to me, no one should have to pay more than $3.99 for a decent e-book right? $5.99 is kinda fucking ridiculous and feels like cheating my readers just so the middle man can get an extra few bucks..... so yeah long story/rant short AaronDragon is back to looking into self publishing on a budget..... and since i''m on a budget i''ll probably be recruiting PR''s from here on RRL after i finish the entire first volume.... maybe even a editor too, but anyway that''s still a good ways off........


    AaronDragon out.......

 [IMPORTANT!!!] D.I. is moving.... oh and so are my other stories....

    Hey all!!! sorry for not being able to crank out those last two chapters of the flood, but i was kinda sick.... my cousin gave me the flu that evil little-... er wonderful and priceous darling angel.... (so proud she''s walking the path of darkness, makes me smile.... still pissed at her though....)


    anyway here is the ABSOLUTE last information post here on RRL.... why? because i''m moving my stuff to the Dark Palace Productions site.


    now dont freak out all you RRL devotees, i''m not taking anything down and i''ll still add stuff to RRL.... just now that''s going to be a more of a "monthly post dump" sort of deal instead of the "upload when the chapters done" thing i''ve been doing so far..... So if you are fine with waiting here on RRL for your stories to get that monthly post flood then you should be fine.... everyone else though, i suggest going to my site and either bookmarking it, subscribing to it (You are going to get a  LOT of non chapter notifications if you do that thought... fair warning....), or just keeping the tab open and obsessively refreshing it like an addict...


    Why did i decide to do this? well A) this''ll let me close like twelve RRL tabs i''ve kept open for months now on my CPU.... B) those monthly post Dumps will probably help attract new readers here on RRL.... C) My site needs the love and i really should justify the time and money i sunk into it.... and D) the possible ad revenue i could gain (Heh, like i''ll ever get enough traffic to get money from ADs.... lol) might help me with all those fun publishing expenses....   THOSE are just a few of the reasons, you know the more rational reasons besides the "it''s MY site damnit.... go there, THERE!!! Please?" type sentimental bullshit....


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    anyway i''ll be adding the fuck ton of chapters i have here on RRL to the site over this month, and all the new chapters i do will be posted there with my next post dump coming at the end of september..... i''ll be starting with D.I. today (Probably wont finish today though), then i''ll move some of the other stuff....


    Chapter 17 will be out and on the site by this weekend, and i''ve started yet ANOTHER story (I have a problem..... i need help, maybe an intervention....) about a straight up Demon Lord which i hop to get some chapters out for this weekend as well.... then after that it''s back to collage for a full semester of classes and suffering....


    anyway this should be a nice little change that''ll make organizing (and thus writing) my stories a lot less time consuming and stressful, it''ll also allow me to easily incorporate some extra features for the stories that i or you fans make like art or that compendium thing D.I. has now.... oh and my schedule, life updates, and planed lengths are there to so you fans can track when you''ll be getting chapters for what easily...... All in all this move just makes things a lot easier for a lot of things....


    P.S: imma still be checking RRL periodically and as always reviews and ratings will always make my happy and motivated to write more, so keep those up if you like the story!!!!


    welp that''s all i got, now imma go start moving stuff so i can get back to writing your crack....


    AaronDragon Out... and relocating....

 Chapter 17: Ending a threat

    That''s right folks, it''s the end of the month so that means it''s time for a RRL content dump..... sadly it''s only a little one since i''ve been working on some other mystery projects, and D.I.''s public releases are all but over until the e-book is all done (I.E: written and edited, even if not released...)...


    Also Pop by DPP to see the nice pretty cover MadelynBlack made for D.I.... I might add it to RRL later....


    Anyway hope you enjoy the update all you fans on RRL!!!


    <hr />


    So here''s Chapter 17..... meh..... yeah not much for me to say about this chapter.....


    anyway, some good news is that there is only one more chapter to ark 2 of D.I. and imma try scrounging up the time to work on it later on this weekend.....


    bad news is that means Volume 1 for D.I.''s public releases are almost over as well.... you guys got a side story chapter and a single free extra chapter to look forward to, then the volume is pretty much done (I''ll be working on the rest of the extra chapters for the e-book though... i''m planning around 4ish e-book exclusives at around 3000ish words each...)


    I''ll edit and clean this up later.... probably... oh and you can see the Cover MadelynBlack made on the D.I. page of Dark Palace Productions..... I''ll probably add that here.... eventually....


    here be your long overdue chapter...


    ENJOY!!!!


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Waynor


    <hr />


    The first thing I noticed when I awoke was how different things were now, my senses had changed and my connection with Instinct also seemed different than it was before. I could feel Instinct like before, but now the bond was stronger and Instinct felt more separate. It was like before she was just a different part of myself, but now she was an individual separate from me except for our connection and a line of power that I sensed her drawing through me. I actually felt things were better this way, I hadn¡¯t even noticed how cramped and limiting things were until now.


    I was absorbing more power now as Instinct channeled power through me, and new information just seemed to appear inside me. I had knowledge about various things that seemed obvious to me now, and with my new senses I could perceive power in new ways. I didn¡¯t just sense mana and animus now, I could also sense the lesser powers that made up the two. I could even vaguely sense the hints of greater powers beyond mana and animus, but from what little I perceived I knew there was no way for me to do anything with them.


    Everything was different now, but things were still the same. I was still me, now I was just more me without any of Instinct inside of me.


    These were some of the thoughts I contemplated most of the day, but they weren¡¯t the only things I considered. As I watched Hanna make the final contract with my guests I considered what I would do and what changes I would be making in and for my dungeon, and after talking to Hanna and Instinct about various laws and rules I knew there were going to be a lot of things to do. I was looking forward to it, I thought the changes would be fun and having more of the seven races visit my dungeon would be very interesting.


    Even when the explorers left my dungeon I was still excited, today would also be the day I woke up Ulisus and took the next step in saving him. I was sure Hanna would be really happy having this as her reward and I wanted to talk with Ulisus and learn more about him and male humans that Hanna apparently couldn¡¯t tell me. It would still take time until I could completely save him like Hanna seemed to want, I would need to understand humans much better before I could make a new body for Ulisus after all. I didn¡¯t think that would be a problem though, I would just need to use some of my guests to learn how a human works and how they are made.


    As I waited for the mites to finish moving Ulisus to the entrance of the dungeon like Instinct suggested, I happily watched over Hanna while talking with Instinct. She was really going to enjoy this surprise, I was sure of it.


    As I lead Hanna, Ralt, and Loria to the entrance for Hanna¡¯s surprise reward I talked with them and realized something very important.


    ¡°Ralt, what do you call the other mites when they don¡¯t have names?¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°They are just my kin or battle-kin, Lord Waynor¡­¡± (Ralt)


    I understood that, but I also understood that with the level of intelligence I had given the mites they should also be aware of and crave their own identities. Since today I myself had come to understand the importance of an identity tied to nothing but yourself, I thought it might be good for the mites to have that too. I couldn¡¯t name them all and I wouldn¡¯t even if I could since it didn¡¯t seem fun, but they should still have some way to distinguish individuality.


    ¡°I think all the mites should have some way to call themselves individually¡­¡± (Waynor)


    Ralt stopped moving and seemed to be shocked, Hanna and Loria kept up with me though. I had heard from Loria it would be more of a surprise for Hanna if we took some time to get to the entrance instead of porting directly there, that was why we only ported to the end of the second floor and were walking the rest of the way. When he s


    ¡°Lord Waynor¡­ Are you saying you will name all of my kin? Every mite having a name¡­¡± (Ralt)


    ¡°No I don¡¯t think my lord meant that Ralt, it would be quite difficult to name every mite. Perhaps Lord Waynor will gave a name to each hive, but a name for each mite would probably be too much for even him.¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Wait, I get that being named is a big deal and takes power and whatnot, but why couldn¡¯t Waynor just name everyone? Sure it might take some time, but shouldn¡¯t it be possible?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡­Hmm I guess I could do that if I wanted, but there are so many mites and it would require so much power that it would take a very long time¡­  I don¡¯t want to spend that much time or power on something as small as naming creations¡­


    Loria smiled and nodded at Hanna.


    ¡°It is possible Hanna, but doing something like that defeats one of the main purpose of having a name. Being named is a status for us, it¡¯s like being of high nobility or something similar. If too many creations are named, especially too many of the same species, then that status would lose its meaning and the various enhancements bearing a name would bestow on one would be lessened. Generically less than ten creations of the same species are given names by a dungeon to maintain order and value to name bestowals, and even with Aide Instinct here that number doesn¡¯t change much.¡± (Loria)


    I looked at Loria and once again felt pride, she was undoubtedly my best creature yet and far surpassed even the two muses Instinct made. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure how or why she had all the knowledge she did, especially when I only had vague feelings on some of the things she seemed to know as facts, but I assumed that it had to do with some of the lesser power types she has been collecting and refining within her stored mana. Now that I could sense all these forms of power I could tell that some of them had rather strange effects and felt some could even bestow information onto their holders, Loria seemed to prove that feeling was right as well.


    ¡­I can¡¯t use many of the lesser powers though, they¡¯re just to insignificant for me to really grasp or wield¡­ They all just fuse together and make mana or animus when I try absorbing them¡­ Though some¡­


    It was interesting having my new level off senses and knowledge, I understood so much more about the powers that made up everything but with that understanding came more questions and confusion than before. I knew that mana and animus were made up of lots of different forces and powers, and I also knew that by changing or moving those lesser powers I could convert one into the other though some amount of power would always be lost in that conversion. I understood that there were also powers greater than mana and animus that were beyond me, I could sense these greater powers everywhere but at the same time they were nowhere and simply felt beyond me. I was beginning to even become familiar with and recognize some of the lesser powers after sensing them enough, though I had no names for them. But even with that knowledge and perception I knew very little about why things were like this or what all these powers were, all I knew was that they were there, always would be there, and that I could use some of them.


    I had lost focus on what was being said as we moved towards the dungeons entrance, it didn¡¯t seem important anymore. I would bestow the hives themselves names and link these hive names to the leading hive mothers of those hives, then I would tell the mites to find designations for individuals. That seemed like it would solve the issue, and that way I won¡¯t have to name too many mites, though I¡¯ll have to ask Instinct to help.


    I was glad that I was able to solve things so quickly and simply before it could become a problem for the mites or the future guests. As we began to approach the passage into the entrance floor I decided that I had thought enough about various things for today, the rest of my focus for the day would simply be used on Hanna¡¯s reward.


    ¡°¡­Than why not just convert monsters from the outside then? That would help with the name problem right?¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Accepting random outsiders into my lord¡¯s dungeon isn¡¯t that easy either, Hanna¡­¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Yes bringing in sub-standard outsiders could sully the splendor of the dungeon and our lord and master¡¯s honor. It¡¯s better to just not take that risk¡­¡± (Ralt)


    I hoped that Ulisus¡¯ soul was in the right condition, if not it might take a bit more power than Instinct and I expected. It would be a shame to have to put off all the things I would do with my dungeon now just because of something like that, though taking a few days to consider things with Instinct while absorbing power might be fine as well¡­


    <hr />


    We were all gathered around the sealed Ulisus, and I could tell everyone was excited. Even Instinct had projected her will so that she was here, I couldn¡¯t see it since she didn¡¯t make her will visible like I did but I could sense exactly where she was so that didn¡¯t really matter. Hanna had been fidgety and nervous ever since she saw her brother here, and even now that hadn¡¯t changed.


    ¡°Now Instinct and I will wake up Ulisus and take the next steps in saving him. Hanna, this is another reward for you being a good girl and doing such a good job with handling the explorer guests we had.¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°So you¡¯re really doing this now? I can really be with my brother again? Talk to him again?¡± (Hanna)


    Hanna was crying, but I think this was one of those strange times that the tears didn¡¯t mean sadness that she told me about before. I didn¡¯t understand it very well, but I think it meant Hanna was really happy now so I felt it was a good thing. With this reward I felt Hanna would be even closer to following me with the loyalty of my other creatures, I thought it might be possible for her to reach that point in just a few more years if I could give a few her more rewards like this one in that time.


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Waynor)


    ¡°T-Thank you¡­ Thank you so much Waynor!¡± (Hanna)


    Hanna started shaking and crying more while smiling, Loria stepped up beside her and began patting her back.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this great Hanna? You get to be together with your brother again, I know how much you¡¯ve wanted that¡­¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Good for you Lady Hanna, I am glad you will be reunited with your kin soon.¡± (Ralt)


    Hanna started to wipe at her face with her hands and when she took her hands away she had the biggest smile I had ever seen her make.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Remember this Hanna, Waynor is the one who¡¯s bringing your brother back to you from certain death¡­¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°I know, you haven¡¯t ever let me forget that. I really am grateful, even to you Instinct¡­ You¡¯re going to bring my brother back to me! I can¡¯t even put into words how much this means to me¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Good¡­ Well I guess we should just start now, right Waynor?¡± (Instinct)


    I was sure Instinct and I had enough power to make this work, and I understood what we would need to do as well as Instinct did perhaps even more now with my new senses.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s begin now¡­¡± (Waynor)


    I reached out with power and felt that power begin to intermingle with Instinct¡¯s own power, her power felt familiar but it was very different from mine. Instincts power was less defined then mine, her mana and animus had very little lesser powers contained within them. It was like her power was the bare minimum of what it took to be mana and animus and mine was full of all sorts of other lesser powers reinforcing it beyond that minimum. It was interesting and I could feel Instinct¡¯s surprise and pride in me when she felt my own power with hers, even when she used my power before or when she channels her own through me I guess she never noticed but now she could.


    I released the stone seal that had encapsulated Ulisus and watched as he suddenly opened his eyes and began gasping and moaning. Hanna gasped and made a move to go to Ullisus before Loria and Ralt held her back, that was good it would be hard enough to do this without Hanna¡¯s own soul energy obscuring things.


    ¡­It¡¯s there, but it¡¯s not quite separate enough from his body for us to do anything with it yet¡­ There¡¯s nothing to do until it separates more, I guess¡­


    Souls were very complex, but ever since I awoke earlier today I understood them well. A soul could hold on to things like memory and personality even when the mind could not if a person trained it too, a soul could be made to do all sorts of other things as well but without the power to manipulate or use souls those things were beyond a soul. The energy behind a soul and the powers that made one up were lesser powers that helped to make up parts of animus, and luckily they were also powers that both Instinct and I could manipulate as well. We would have to be careful since we couldn¡¯t do anything to Ulisus¡¯ body, but his soul was something we could do things to. Once his soul separated enough from his physical body then Instinct and I would be able to manipulate it, and once we had his soul we could begin the next step.


    I watched as Ulisus¡¯ body slowly lost more blood and more of his soul slowly separated from the vessel of that body. I Ignored Hanna and let Loria explain what we were trying to do to save Ulisus, for some reason I felt that Loria should understand what we were doing well enough to calm Hanna down.


    ¡­This is taking longer than I thought it would¡­ This won¡¯t work if he actually dies, but since I haven¡¯t gained power from a death he probably hasn¡¯t actually died yet¡­ Maybe his soul won¡¯t separate enough from his body for Instinct and I to do anything until Ulisus is dead? That would mean I couldn¡¯t save him, and Hanna would be sad¡­ That¡¯s not a very good reward for her at all¡­


    I waited with Instinct and my power utterly surrounding Ulisus and his emerging soul, it took time but I was patient and just waited maintaining total focus on Ulisus¡¯ soul. Once I felt the soul with my power and was able to actually touch it with my power Instinct and I acted, we carefully drew out his soul from his body. The soul struggled for a moment before settling and we began to weave it into the body at certain points.


    It was a simple but delicate process, Ulisus¡¯ soul was acting as his mind as well as the strings that guided his body and vessel. It made his body nothing more than flesh while keeping him alive, and gods could not lay claim to simple flesh. As I waited for the claim the gods held over his body fade I considered what I would need to do to make this work, I wouldn¡¯t have much time as once Ulisus was more alive than dead the gods¡¯ claims over him as one of their seven races would resurface and block my access once again.


    I had focused so much that I couldn¡¯t notice anything else, even Instinct faded away into the background with my only reminder of her existence being our merged power which I was wielding. The exact moment the last of the claims blocking me faded away into nothingness I began to work.


    I didn¡¯t know everything about what made a human healthy and well especially on their insides, but Instinct and Hanna had told me a lot. The first thing I did was replace and fill Ulisus with blood, then I began merging and healing the wounds and scars inside of his body. Ulisus¡¯ body jerked and spasmed as I violently forced his souls vessel back to a state where it could live on, there was screaming and crying and all sorts of other noises but I didn¡¯t let any of them distract me.


    The blood is good now, he should have enough now and it won¡¯t leak out anymore. The Heart is beating harder now, a little more and it should be fine¡­ Oops, that was too much, gotta get it to stop leaking now too¡­ Ok, now should be the brain right? I don¡¯t know if this part is supposed to be brown, but let¡¯s give it some power just to be safe¡­ Alright, next is?


    I worked as fast as I could, and I solved the dilemma of not understanding human¡¯s insides by just flooding Ulisus with power and willing him to heal. The few direct things I did were inelegant rushed things like closing wounds with blood leaking out of them and making the heart beat stronger by force, I also forced Ulisus¡¯ skeleton back into place in a few places but the cracks and rends on it I left alone.


    When I had just started on the ribs I felt my power just dissipate inside of Ulisus. When I reached back out to him my power wouldn¡¯t touch him, the gods¡¯ claims had resurfaced as his soul returned to the restored vessel. Ulisus¡¯ body was no longer soulless flesh to the gods but once more a human of the seven races and as such my ability to influence him with power directly was gone. I felt fairly confident that he would survive now, though he seemed to be rolling and moaning in what I assumed was pain.


    I pulled up my menu to check how much power I¡¯d used for this, and was shocked by the sheer amount of power I had lost.


    [ Name: Waynor ]


    [ Titles: ¡°Icon of Patience¡±, ¡°Self-Named Dungeon¡±, ¡°The One Who Endures¡± ]


    [ Rank: 1 ]            [ Dominion Level: 0 ]


    [ Territory: N/A ]              [ Dungeon Views: {invaders (threat)} {overview} ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 4,096} { Animus: 7,832} ]


    [ Class: ??? ]       [ State: Flawless core]


    [ levels: 1 ]          [ Floors: 16 ]       [ Entrance/Exits: 1 ]


    [ Inhabitants: {???: 1} {humans: 1} {Mites: 1,000,000+ (Hive Mothers: 13) (Warrior Mites: 4,539)} {Elementals: (Wisps: 123,421)} {Fae: (Pixies: 49,206) (Muses: 3)} {Plants: (Corrupted plants: 1,000,000+) (Carnivious vines: 64) (flower soldiers: 58,692) (parasitic seeders: 123)} ]


    [ Traps: {Spike: 23} {Pitfall: 2304} {Arrow: 2580} {Wall: 921} {Ceiling: 451} {Fire: 652} {Poison: 737} {Acid: 402} {Maze: 4 } {Magic: 41,390} {Original design: 2,133} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: (Expansion) (Building) (Decoration) (Design) (Trap Creation) (Core Growth) (Rune Creation) (Core Restoration) }                    {Animus: (Dungeon Lord Creation) (Inhabitant Creation) (Soulstone Creation/Granting) (Name Bestowal) (Mutation/Evolution Management) (Core Growth) (Core Restoration} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: (Magic) (Deconstruction) (Siphoning) (Absorption) (Portation) (Teleportation) (Automatic Item/Magic Recycling)}          {Animus: (Siphoning) (Absorption) (Remodification/Recreation) (Automatic Life Recycling)} ]


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    [ Unique Ability Options: (Adaptive Database) (Adaptive Power Comprehension) (Adaptive Omni-Language Processes) (Dimensional Mastery) (Mana/Animus Conversion) (Over-Bestowal) (Absolute Contract) (Memory Processing Orb) ]


    [ Stored/Owned Bosses: {Dungeon lord (Unknown): 1} {Muse: 3} ]


    [ Listed Known Creations: {¡Þ} ]


    ¡­Even without the claims of the gods it seems altering one of the seven races is quite costly¡­


    I watched as Hanna rushed over to her brother and supported him so that he could sit up in the bottom half of the transparent stone coffin he had been sealed in, she was crying and smiling again.


    ¡°Ulisus? Ulisus can you hear me? Are you alright? Ulisus!¡± (Hanna)


    Ulisus gave a wet cough before a smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright little sister, but if you worry me to death-¡­¡± (Ulisus)


    Hanna wrapped her arms around Ulisus and pulled him into her holding him tightly and laughing as tears rolled down her face. It was a strangely beautiful scene and quite enjoyed witnessing it, but I didn¡¯t feel it nearly made up for all the power I had lost.


    I turned away and left Hanna to enjoy her reward and turned my attention to Instinct, I opened the connection between us and could feel tension and nervousness from her.


    Instinct?


    ¡­Waynor, you trust that I mean the best for you in everything I do, right? (Instinct)


    That was a strange thing to ask, how could I not trust Instinct? She existed to solely aid me in whatever I needed, there was no way I could not trust her knowing that. Instinct may have changed since I awoke earlier, but I actually enjoyed and approved of those changes and knew that her purpose hadn¡¯t changed.


    Of course I trust you Instinct, why?


    She sent nothing and was silent so long that I began to wonder if she would actually respond, and when she did the guilt that came through the bond was immense.


    We should have told you¡­ no, regardless of what Loria thought or did I should have told you myself¡­ I¡¯m sorry Waynor, but I¡¯m sure this had to be done¡­ He was a threat to you¡­ A direct threat¡­ I would never overlook something like that, not when you were the one at stake¡­ (Instinct)


    Instinct what do you-¡­


    It happened suddenly, a significant amount of power entered my dungeon at a very high speed. I turned to try and find the source, and I saw something slam into the back of Ulisus¡¯ head.


    Ulisus¡¯ head exploded, his soul left the now ruined vessel of his body, and I gained far more power than I did from any of the other humans who died in my dungeon. Ulisus had died, and the soul that made him up simple flowed out of my dungeon.


    It was silent, no one spoke and other than Ralt moving in front of Hanna no one moved. As the body of Ulisus began to be dissolved and absorbed into the stone that once served to preserve him, I felt relief and guilt through my bond.


    And now that threat to you is gone¡­ I apologize Waynor but both Loria and I felt this was the best way, and I would do it again if it meant removing a threat to you¡­ (Instinct)


    I just watched as the body slowly disappeared into stone, an effect and price I never thought the stone would get to show when I first chose it as the sealing material. Hanna was utterly still and was just staring at something outside of my dungeon.


    You ruined Hanna¡¯s reward¡­


    Yes¡­ I did... (Instinct)


    Hanna reached up and removed a piece of brain that was stuck to her cheek, when she looked at the bit of brain on her finger and what was left of Ulisus¡¯ body sinking into nothing she didn¡¯t have any expression. There weren¡¯t even tears coming from her eyes, her face was just blank. She looked back out the entrance again, then turned around and began walking deeper into my dungeon without saying anything.


    ¡°Lord Waynor, I would like to request permission to leave the dungeon for a moment¡­¡± (Loria)


    I looked at Loria, she likely had something to do with this given what Instinct had sent to me.


    ¡°You may, but when you return I would like to talk to you, Loria.¡± (Waynor)


    Loria trembled for a moment before nodding and walking out of the dungeon. I looked to Ralt as she left.


    ¡°Guard and guide Hanna.¡± (Waynor)


    Ralt simply bowed and began moving after Hanna.


    Instinct, I don¡¯t understand human mindsets very well yet¡­ Tell me, did this break Hanna?


    ¡­Yes it seems so¡­ (Instinct)


    And you knew it would before this happened?


    ¡­Yes, I did. (Instinct)


    So you planned for this?


    Yes Loria and I did plan for Hanna to become like this are at least some state similar¡­ (Instinct)


    I see¡­ I¡¯d like you not to break what¡¯s mine again without getting my permission first¡­


    I¡¯ll try to do so in the future, but I don¡¯t think I can promise anything¡­ If I think there is a threat to you, I may act without informing you again¡­ (Instinct)


    I thought about that for a moment. Instinct¡¯s purpose was to aid me, and if she acted in secret for my own benefit then that would be a form of aiding me. I could accept that, it was a simple question of if I could trust Instinct and I already knew the answer to that.


    Fine¡­ But try to keep times without informing me to a minimum, I don¡¯t like surprises like this¡­


    I severed the connection between us and returned to my core room, the surprise reward I had planned for Hanna had backfired horribly today. I don¡¯t think I would try surprise rewards anymore¡­


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Feris


    <hr />


    It had only been a matter of getting Erica to tie me from a tree, an act that I had a good deal of experience in already. That¡¯s all it took to separate myself from the rest of the party without raising the least bit of suspicion in any of them.


    As I brushed the remnants of Erica¡¯s magical returning rope off of me I looked up to see Nora leaning against the tree I had just been suspended from. She tilted her head when our gazes met and she put on a mildly troubled look.


    ¡°So¡­ Should I be concerned about how often you get tied up? You know Feris you can tell me if you have some secret preferences, I¡¯m very accepting¡­¡± (Nora)


    I couldn¡¯t help the smile that came to my lips, Nora would be the one to make a joke about a possible fetish of mine at a time like this.


    ¡°No, nothing to be concerned with on that front, Nora¡­¡± (Feris)


    She walked closer but maintained the look.


    ¡°Really? You do know I¡¯d be happy to tie you up if I could, but given I¡¯m like this¡­¡± (Nora)


    She gestured to her body wrapped in those beautiful dress robes.


    ¡°I can understand if you have to turn to other women for your unique needs. I just want you to know that I fully support you and your¡­ Preferences¡­¡± (Nora)


    ¡°Oh, Haha¡­ Your wit and sense of humor are in top form tonight I see.¡± (Feris)


    I began to quickly back track heading back towards the dungeon, I saw Nora moving next to me as only a ghost could. She seemed to be walking but her feet never touched the ground and she was moving farther than her stride should have carried her, it was strange to watch but that was how many spirits tended to cover large stretches of ground quickly.


    ¡°What can I say? It¡¯s a gift¡­¡± (Nora)


    ¡°Yeah sure, a gift¡­¡± (Feris)


    We moved in quiet for a while before Nora spoke up again with a soft and far more fragile voice than I was used to hearing from her.


    ¡°Hey Feris, do you really think I could have a real body again? That I could be alive again?¡± (Nora)


    I didn¡¯t respond for a while, but as I moved over a fallen tree I gave my answer.


    ¡°Yes, I think there¡¯s a real chance¡­ If Loria will actually honor that claim even when it can be done is something I¡¯m less sure of though. Until we know for sure one way or the other for either of those points though I¡¯m going to end up doing whatever she asks¡­¡± (Feris)


    ¡°You¡¯ll do it for me even if I ask you not to, won¡¯t you?¡± (Nora)


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± (Feris)


    ¡°You always were stubborn like that¡­¡± (Nora)


    ¡°Yeah...¡± (Feris)


    It was quiet for a long time, and it wasn¡¯t until we had made it most of the way back to where the dungeon when she spoke again.


    ¡°Feris, I love you. I think what you¡¯re doing for my sake is more than a little stupid and I¡¯d much rather take the risk myself rather than let you get involved at all¡­ Still, thanks for doing this for me¡­¡± (Nora)


    ¡°I love you too, and I know you¡¯d do the same if you were in my position¡­¡± (Feris)


    ¡°I would, wouldn¡¯t I? I guess that just means we¡¯re both stubborn, huh?¡± (Nora)


    ¡°Yeah¡­ But I¡¯m more stubborn than you.¡± (Feris)


    I heard her laugh and I felt like everything was alright in that one moment.


    ¡°You wish, it¡¯s still ten years too early for you to even be a match for my stubbornness, Feris¡­¡± (Nora)


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s why you used to change your mind so often back then¡­¡± (Feris)


    ¡°That was just part of my stubbornness, I would stubbornly change my mind¡­¡± (Nora)


    ¡°And stubbornly agree with people, and stubbornly establish compromises¡­¡± (Feris)


    ¡°See, I knew you would catch on eventually Feris!¡± (Nora)


    I just shook my head fighting off the grin that was threatening to appear on my face.


    Gods I missed this¡­ Nora and my banter, our little inside jokes, the competition¡­ how have I lived with this missing for so long?


    As a real smile came to my face I began to pick up my pace, there was no way I would let myself lose this again. Not for anything¡­


    <hr />


    I was crouched in the darkness, bow drawn, arrow nocked, and watching what was happening just inside the entrance of the dungeon. I saw something happen between Waynor the dungeon will and a man in a strange sort of coffin, and now the man in the clear coffin was being hugged by Hanna while she cried tears of joy. I assume that had been the healing thing Loria told us about, and now I was simply watching her carefully for the signal Loria said she would give.


    ¡°It¡¯s him¡­ That¡¯s the boy who had my parents killed, even if he is older now I can tell¡­ Ulisus Tultsven¡­¡± (Nora)


    I almost let my arrow fly at that exact moment, it took a lot to hold back. Nora was hovering over my shoulder and I was certain by the hate in her voice when she spoke that she was glaring at the man hugging his sister. I would kill him for what he did to Nora, and I would kill him for the chance he could bring her in death all I needed to do was wait for Loria¡¯s signal.


    ¡­Ulisus Tultsven, you were a man who crossed to many in your life¡­ Now that life will meet its end at my hands¡­


    I saw Ulisus talking seeming to almost argue with Hanna when I finally saw Loria give the signal, her head dipped once and when it came up again she looked directly at me while mouthing ¡°Do It¡±.


    That was all I needed, I began to gather my mana into the arrow¡¯s tip. I wasn¡¯t the best with a bow and I was far from being a mage, but there were still a few tricks I could do with my mana and with a bow. This was just one of the tricks that I could do with both, a mana charged arrow was an arrow that few would survive being hit by.


    ¡°Feris, you won¡¯t miss right?¡± (Nora)


    Her voice was hard, Nora had always been the better shot of the two of us. She had a gift with a bow that I just didn¡¯t, and she knew that.


    ¡°I won¡¯t if you possess me¡­¡± (Feris)


    It was a simple solution to me, I might be able to make the shot from this distance but Nora defiantly would. Nora was a ghost and ghosts could possess the living, I was alive and pointing a weapon she was familiar with at the man who hurt her. Two plus two equals four.


    ¡°¡­Only because you offered, I¡¯ll make this quick I swear¡­¡± (Nora)


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I trust you with my life so why not my body? Do it.¡± (Feris)


    It was a strange feeling when Nora entered my body and took control, I suddenly became an observing passenger in my own body. Even so I was fine with that, Nora really was the better shot between us¡­


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Nora


    <hr />


    I corrected the shot Feris had lined up, at this angle it would have curved and taken out the girl in front of Ulisus instead of the ass himself. Feris really should stick to knives instead of bows, he was a decent shot but that was his limit with a bow but with a good dagger he could take on anything.


    ¡°Die¡­¡± (Nora)


    I let the arrow go and watched as it flew, the slight breeze that would have had Feris¡¯ shot kill the girl gently nudged my shot into a direct course with the back of that bastards head. When his entire head exploded from the mana loaded arrow I felt a delight that overshadowed even the feeling of a job going well back when I was alive, it was almost intoxicatingly pleasant.


    I¡¯m done now Feris¡­ You can take over again, I¡¯ll leave¡­


    No, you were the one to take the shot, you should be the one to get to take the bow. I wouldn¡¯t take that from you, not with how much you like showing off¡­ (Feris)


    I had to work not to let the smile actually show, Feris knew me so well. I really wish we could have just told each other how we felt before¡­ before that last job¡­


    ¡­If just one of us was a little bit braver¡­


    We can¡¯t change the past Nora, trust me I¡¯ve thought about that for years. All we can do is learn from the past and embrace the present, we¡¯ll be brave now since we weren¡¯t back then¡­ (Feris)


    I nodded.


    You¡¯re right, Feris¡­ We¡¯ll be brave now¡­


    I stood and waited for the girl to notice me like Loria had told us too, and soon enough she did. I smiled wide and made a grand sweeping bow, when I came up from that bit of theatrics I put one finger against my smiling lips before giving a wave and turning to walk away.


    I had recognized that expression, I had seen it on myself in the past. That girl was broken, emotionally dead inside or as close to it as she could get without losing all of herself. Our job was done here.


    I slipped out of Feris¡¯ body and kept pace with him as he walked back into the cover of the trees, all we would need to do is wait for Loria now.


    Really, using almost all your mana in one shot¡­ Feris, you¡¯re as stubborn as always¡­ Not even considering what would happen if I missed, but I guess that¡¯s just one of the parts of him I fell in love with¡­


    I watched the back of the man I loved and how was deadest on getting me a new body and felt the silly smile I always got when I thought about being together with him grow on my face.


    My Feris the Quick¡­ We really should have been braver in the past, huh?


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Feris


    <hr />


    It wasn¡¯t long before I saw Loria come through the tree line.


    ¡°You both did well, I couldn¡¯t have asked for better.¡± (Loria)


    I just nodded.


    ¡°So the information you promised?¡± (Nora)


    Nora¡¯s voice was a mix of expectant and annoyed, I could tell Loria was someone she probably would never get along with. I probably wouldn¡¯t get along with her either, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that we needed her if we were going to have a shot at getting Nora a body and another chance at life.


    ¡°Yes you did hold up you¡¯re end of our deal quite well¡­ My lord will need time to store up a good deal of power to move you into a new body, but there are quite a few things that you can do to lessen the burden on my lord and increasing the chances of a successful transition¡­¡± (Loria)


    She stopped talking and was making that smile I hated again, but like the good little pawn I was for her I put up with it and asked the question she was waiting for.


    ¡°And what things would those be?¡± (Feris)


    ¡°To move Nora¡¯s soul into a new vessel that her soul will accept it would be helpful to have a portion of her soul¡¯s old vessel, powdered bone would work best. I¡¯m sure you both know where the body is buried, correct?¡± (Loria)


    I nodded, not letting her tone or rudeness bother me.


    ¡°Then the other way would be for you both to shed any and all claim the gods may hold over you, or willingly consent to allow my lord to alter you while casting aside any faith you may hold in the gods. It would be needless effort for Lord Waynor to have to waste power in competition with whatever god feels entitled to both your souls¡­¡± (Loria)


    I swallowed, casting aside the gods wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem for me but some of the stories of curses those who did so suffered were a bit unnerving. I would still do it, I would do anything for Nora¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Alright, is there anything else you want me to do for you, Loria¡± (Feris)


    I saw Nora Stare hard at me out of the corner of my eye, but the fact was we were both still playing this monsters game and to make matters worse we were also playing by her rules. I had to ask or I would end up regretting it latter on when she used my not asking against me.


    ¡°In fact there is something now that I think about it. There is a woman who is leading a band of mercenaries I believe go by Bloody Fist, your guild master should have more details on who I¡¯m speaking of. I¡¯m quite certain my lord would like to see her visit his dungeon once again, and so I want the same. If you can arrange for such a thing to happen I¡¯m sure it would help you gain some favor from Lord Waynor as well¡­¡± (Loria)


    I just nodded and turned to leave.


    ¡°I understand, we¡¯ll be leaving then¡­¡± (Feris)


    ¡°Yes, I hope to see you both again soon, Feris, Nora. You are quite interesting to me after all¡­¡± (Loria)


    I just kept walking.


    Yeah, Loria and I will never get along¡­ But it¡¯s worth it for Nora, anything is worth it for giving her a second chance at life¡­


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Yep so that''s the chapter...... Next time we''ll be having a Hanna side story, which should be interesting... I wonder how well i can write broken? I guess i''ll find out soon....


    anyway remember to like, share, comment, subscribe, and browse around if your on DPP reading this


    If you''re reading this on RRL then remember to rate, review, comment, follow, favorite, and pop on over to Dark Palace Productions for more stuff....


    If you want to chat or just bug me to work faster, i''ll be popping in and out of D.I.''s discord page when my internet connection allows....


    AaronDragon Out.....

 Side Story, Hanna: Demons of the mind and the curse of Humanity

    BTW if your reading this on RRL and find some weird errors or nonsense words then that''s an error from the Copy/Paste transition from DPP, not Author error.... probably....


    anyway if you feel like using the Discord chat, pop by the D.I. project page on DPP for the link....


    and this is pretty much it for this months RRL content dump, hope you liked it and sorry there isn''t more....


    <hr />


    So this came out MUUUUUCCCCCCHHHHHH longer than i originally thought.... I also had to do a LOOOT of scraping and rewriting to get things to the point i was happy with.


    ....Yeah, interesting chapter to write....


    anyway this is a low point for Hanna, and a good way to see how much Instinct has really changed as a character...


    ENJOY!!!!!!!


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    Hanna


    <hr />


    I couldn¡¯t get it out of my head, I just kept seeing it. Over and over, it never stopped. One moment I was talking to Ulisus and the next moment my brother was gone. I got my brother back just to lose him again, only this time he was gone forever.


    I don¡¯t even remember how I got to my room, all that filled my mind were those few moments I had with my brother. The memories spun through my head endlessly replaying themselves, over and over and over and over¡­


    ¡­We were arguing, why did we have to be arguing? Why?


    I just stared at the decorated ceiling that at one time could have improved my mood just with its beauty alone, I didn¡¯t even notice it now.


    ¡­Was there anything I could have done? Maybe¡­ No, there was¡­


    I felt the tears come again. It was strange, in the beginning I couldn¡¯t cry but now I couldn¡¯t seem to stop. Sleep was impossible, there was no escape from the memories for me in sleep. My dreams just made the memories stronger and twisted them into horrible things, even still I almost craved them. Dreams and memories were the only places I could see Ulisus again, to talk to and be with him again.


    I couldn¡¯t remember when I had last slept but I could still remember my last dream, it was the one where I was the one who had shot the arrow that killed my brother. I had watched as another me had killed my brother then smiled at me, she had waved and blown a kiss at me just as I had once done when sending off my brother or father in the past. I had been avoiding sleep ever since then.


    I knew it wasn¡¯t real, Feris had been the one to kill my brother not me. I saw him, he had bowed after he was done smiling like killing my brother was the greatest moment of his life. He had waved and motioned for my silence with a single finger raised against his smiling lips, then he had just turned and walked away calmly. He had killed my brother then walked away like it was normal, the same boy who had been flirting with and flattering me earlier that same day in what I had thought was an attempt to bed me. That was a sight I¡¯d never forget, a memory impeded so deeply in my mind it would never leave me.


    How could I have been so wrong? If I had just known, if I could have just seen through Feris for what he really was¡­ Even if I couldn¡¯t do anything Ralt was there, Ralt and the mites could have killed him and then¡­


    I just kept starring at the ceiling, it didn¡¯t even register to me. All I could see was that last moment.


    Ulisus had been angry, he wanted us to run away and escape the dungeon before it could hurt us. I kept trying to explain how Waynor was nice and that we didn¡¯t need to escape, how he would make us a home here. Ulisus didn¡¯t believe me and when I told him that even if I wanted to leave I couldn¡¯t since I had offered all of myself to the dungeon to help save us, Ulisus had been really angry at that. He had said that we would just have to destroy Waynor, that way I would be able to leave even if he had a hold over my body and soul. I had tried to calm him down and explain, but he had been confused and scared.


    If I had just had time, all I needed was a little time to explain things to him¡­ Ulisus would have understood, he would have learned to be as happy living in a dungeon as I was¡­ All I needed was a little more time¡­ Why didn¡¯t I just wait, why did I have to push and argue with him?


    I had told Ulisus that he just didn¡¯t get it, that he was being an idiot and acting stupidly like he always did. I had said so many things to him, things that I didn¡¯t really mean but now could never take back. He had asked me who I trusted more him or some dungeon, and I had said the dungeon since it at least listened to me and my advice and he was acting like an idiot right now. He had looked at me shocked, and that was the last expression he ever made.


    I had barely seen the arrow, but the flash followed by the pinkish mist cloud that rose up from it had been clear in my eyes. I had been confused for a moment and it wasn¡¯t until I saw what was left of Ulisus¡¯ body that I began to understand what had happened. I had reached up and found a greyish pink piece of meat that had been hanging off my cheek, it was a piece of Ulisus.


    That was when I had looked up to see Feris, Feris who was holding a bow and smiling. Feris who had bowed and walked away. Feris who had killed my brother. Feris who I had shown around just earlier that day. Feris who I had thought of as just a silly boy who was far too much of a flirt to be a real explorer. Feris who I had been so very, very wrong about.


    Had that all been a plan of his? The flirting, the jokes, the bewitchments, even the looks he sent me¡­ Were they all faked, just acting for him?


    Round and round my mind turned, over and over and over again I saw my memories play out on the ceiling. I think I could have been hungry, it didn¡¯t matter. I could smell the sharp acrid scent of urine around me, that didn¡¯t matter either.


    I wasn¡¯t sure that anything mattered anymore, why would it? After all, I was all alone now.


    There was no one left who cared about me, nothing left for me in this world.


    My home was far away and by now probably belonged to someone else.


    My family¡¯s business had certainly collapsed without anyone from the family to lead and protect it.


    My mother was dead.


    My father was dead.


    My brother was dead.


    What was left for me? What was left of me? Could I still be Hanna Tultsven when all that made me her was gone? If I wasn¡¯t Hanna Tultsven then what was I?


    Nothing¡­ Nothing matters¡­ No one¡¯s left and nothing matters¡­


    Once again I saw my brother die, only now I saw my father being beheaded and my mother suffering from illness as well. Over and over my family left me, over and over I saw their deaths play in my mind as I stared blankly up at the ceiling.


    Mama¡­ Father¡­ Ulisus¡­ Why did you leave me? I don¡¯t want to be alone¡­ I hate being alone¡­


    I reached out towards the ceiling trying to grasp the fleeting images of my mind, I craved for some level of comfort. To hold my mother¡¯s hands again, to feel my Father¡¯s strong but gentle grasp as he held my hand, to hug my brother again. I was despite for something, anything, that could help drive away the pain and help dispel the loneliness.


    Someone¡­ Anyone¡­ Please?


    But there was no one and nothing left, at least not for me. Not for Hanna.


    I think I started laughing again, it was funny somehow. I didn¡¯t understand why but it seemed so funny to me, I had nothing and all of my family was dead but I was still afraid to die. I couldn¡¯t kill myself, I was too much of a coward to take my own life. All I could hope for was that death would come take me while I waited here staring ever up at the ceiling, that seemed so funny to me.


    I was pathetic, that was funny to. Silly sad little Hanna, my life itself was a twisted sort of joke. At least it was a joke I could laugh at now.


    I had lost track of time since Ulisus died in front of me, time just stopped mattering to me. I could have been here for minutes, hours, days, months, or years I didn¡¯t know and I didn¡¯t care. Time and its passage didn¡¯t matter.


    Nothing mattered, for some reason I kept forgetting that. Why did I keep forgetting that?


    <hr />


    I was standing at the side of the bed, Mama¡¯s hand was getting colder and colder. Ulisus was at the other side of the bed holding Mama¡¯s other hand, his face had tear streaks and his eyes were watery. Father had left the room earlier, he didn¡¯t want to see his wife like this. I think Mama¡¯s dying was hardest on him out of all of us, he had been becoming more distant as Mama¡¯s condition got worse.


    The doctor had told us that the strange illness she had was beyond his ability, the healer said that it was not something his magic could fix. All we knew was that something was inside of Mama that was making her sicker and sicker every day, the doctor and healer both thought the only way to save her was with potions made from the strongest healing ingredients like dragon blood or perhaps unicorn horn. There was no way we could ever afford something like that with the loan payments being due next year, even if we sold everything we had we might not have enough left over after our debt for a potion of that level.


    I looked down at my Mother¡¯s face, her illness had made her a pale shadow of her past self. Her once beautiful and silky golden hair was now matted and dirty, her milky skin had become sickeningly pale and dry, her jewel-like eyes and exotic nose were now crusted with dried blood. Mama looked like a corpse, or perhaps one of the undead that I¡¯d heard stories about.


    Suddenly Mama¡¯s hand tightened painfully around mine, her eyes opened wide and she sat up to look directly at me. Her eyes had become the color of blood, a deep disturbing crimson that seemed to see through me into the very core of my being.


    ¡°Why did you let me die, dear daughter?¡± (Mama)


    I tried to pull away, but the grip on my hand was to strong and held me close. I tried to look away, but those crimson eyes trapped me and kept my gaze locked on them. I tried to speak, to deny, to explain, to apologize. Nothing made it past my throat, I couldn¡¯t so much as open my mouth let alone speak.


    Mama¡¯s mouth twisted into a frown that ripped and tore the skin around her mouth, blood streamed down from her eyes, nose, and the new wounds at her mouth as she spoke. It was terrifying to watch, but I still couldn¡¯t look away.


    ¡°Dear Daughter, I¡¯m so disappointed in you¡­ I thought you loved me, loved us, why did you let us die?¡± (Mama)


    I turned away only to see the headless bodies of my brother and father, father was holding his head and Ulisus¡¯ headless body was splattered with gore. They stood so close to me, too close. Father¡¯s mouth opened to leak vomit blood, endless blood that soon became a river of black bile.


    ¡°You never loved us did you, daughter? You never cared¡­¡± (Father)


    I reached out desperate to reassure them that wasn¡¯t true, that I cared about my family more than anything else. I needed to let them know the truth, they couldn¡¯t pass on thinking I didn¡¯t love them.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! I loved you, I loved all of you!¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you save us, dear daughter? Why did you do nothing when we needed you?¡± (Mama)


    ¡°You could have helped me when I was attacked¡­¡± (Father)


    ¡°If you had merely sold yourself as a willing slave to help pay off the debt, the family could¡¯ve afforded the potion to save me¡­¡± (Mama)


    ¡°Your brother died right in front of you. Tell us daughter, what did you do to stop it?¡± (Father)


    I was surrounded by blood and bile, it reached up to my neck where I sat. It was crushing me, suffocating me, robbing me of my ability to move or speak.


    ¡°I used to be so much more beautiful than you, dear daughter¡­ Why don¡¯t you repent your failing me by giving me your beauty¡± (Mama)


    Mama began leaning forward, her hands now skeletal with long jagged nails and yellow-brown sickness pouring out from them in streams. I felt as the jagged nails ripped into my skin and begin pulling off my face.


    I started screaming, but all I could hear was my parent¡¯s laughter. The blood and bile came over me and into my mouth, nose, eyes, and ears. It was flooding me, drowning me as I screamed.


    <hr />


    I awoke screaming and struggling, the horrors of my dream lingering in my mind. It was sad but I couldn¡¯t even call it a nightmare, doing that would mean seeing my family was now akin to a nightmare since the only place I could see them again was in my dreams.


    It was even sadder that I was so weak and was so terrified of falling asleep, even when it was the only place I could be with my family.


    I couldn¡¯t even help my family when they needed me¡­ I¡¯m so weak, so useless¡­ Weak Hanna¡­ Useless Hanna¡­


    I sat back up and looked up at the ceiling once again, once again the cycle of memories started. Mama, Father, Ulisus. I watched them all die, one by one. Over and over and over again.


    I think that most of the pain had faded from seeing them die, all that was left was numbness. Emptiness. Loss.


    I didn¡¯t deserve to mourn, I certainly didn¡¯t deserve to feel sorrow. I could have done so much more, why didn¡¯t I do more?


    I just silently looked up, my mind flooding me with my family¡¯s deaths over and over and over and over¡­


    <hr />


    I had begun hearing voices, they sounded like my family and said horrible things to me. They accused me of things I was beginning to believe might be true.


    I started screaming to drown out the voices with my own¡­


    <hr />


    ¡°Hanna?¡± (???)


    The voice was soft and feminine, it didn¡¯t sound exactly like Mama yet Mama¡¯s was the only voice that would talked softly to me. Mama always made sure to talk softly and nicely to me at first, she knew it hurt me more when she did that.


    ¡°Hanna, look at me, I¡¯m not your mother.¡± (???)


    I couldn¡¯t scream anymore, my throat was too dry and hoarse. I wondered what Mama was trying to do now, it might be one of her cruel games. Mama¡¯s voice liked to play cruel games with me, I didn¡¯t like it myself but that didn¡¯t matter.


    Nothing mattered, why couldn¡¯t I remember that?


    ¡°Hanna, look at me.¡± (???)


    I looked away from the ceiling and saw the source of the voice. It was a woman of immense godlike beauty, her long shimmering and pale iridescent hair and ever color shifting eyes seemed familiar but I didn¡¯t recognize her. There was someone else, another woman of immense beauty rivaling even the first only she was partially transparent and the only colors to her were shades of grey and white. Both were standing side by side, though the grey lady was floating off the ground a few inches.


    ¡°Well Loria, you were right. She does seem much more broken than before, waiting was the right choice for us¡­¡± (Grey Lady)


    ¡°Still maybe we waited too long, Hanna doesn¡¯t seem to recognize you or me for that matter. Well, she only knew you as a voice, but still¡­¡± (Loria)


    I watched as they talked to each other, I recognized the name Loria as the one belonging to the first woman but I couldn¡¯t remember why that was. The other voice of the grey lady was familiar as well, but I couldn¡¯t think of why that might be. In the end it didn¡¯t matter, even if they weren¡¯t Mama or part of her newest game that didn¡¯t change anything.


    ¡°Oh Hanna¡­ Maybe I was being too selfish to want her to remain my friend¡­¡± (Loria)


    ¡°Are you having second thoughts now Loria?¡± (Grey Lady)


    ¡°No, no second thoughts, Instinct, just some guilt.¡± (Loria)


    Instinct? ¡­A Paperweight? Why would she be a paperweight, she seems more like a ghost¡­ Strange, but it doesn¡¯t matter¡­ Nothing matters anymore, I have to remember that nothing matters anymore¡­


    ¡°Guilt¡­ Well, I guess that makes sense considering. I¡¯ll let you start things then, that should help assuage some of your guilt, right?¡± (Instinct)


    ¡°Thank you Instinct, then I¡¯ll begin¡­¡± (Loria)


    Loria turned to look at me again, she was smiling but her eyes seemed sad. She walked towards me but stopped before she came within arm¡¯s reach of the bed.


    ¡°Hello again Hanna, it¡¯s been almost a week since we last saw each other. You remember that time right? When your brother Ulisus died right after you had been reunited with each other, when you watched him die without even the thought of helping him crossing your mind¡­¡± (Loria)


    I remembered, I saw it, over and over and over again. I could never forget that time, but somehow I had forgotten Loria. That was fine I guess, Loria didn¡¯t really matter. Nothing really mattered anymore.


    ¡°Oh but Hanna you know that isn¡¯t true, that¡¯s why you keep trying to convince yourself it is. You want to suffer Hanna, but you can¡¯t bring yourself to face that suffering, can you?¡± (Loria)


    ¡­Yes, that¡¯s right¡­ because I¡¯m weak¡­ weak, pathetic, selfish Hanna¡­ I should suffer, but I don¡¯t want to¡­ I¡¯m too scared to¡­


    ¡°Oh but you are Hanna, you¡¯re suffering so much. Do you want to know why?¡± (Loria)


    I nodded my head, I wanted to know. I needed to know, needed Loria to tell me.


    ¡°You¡¯re suffering because of a human, you do remember him don¡¯t you?¡± (Loria)


    A red haired boy. His smile, his flirting, his silliness, his betrayal, his bowing afterwards, his wave, his gesture for silence, his indifference as he walked away, I remembered who caused this.


    ¡­Feris¡­


    ¡°Yes Feris played a part, but think further back. Who was it that killed your father? Who captured you and took you from your old home and your old life? Who was it who stripped you of your future and your dreams, Hanna?¡± (Loria)


    I saw them, men in armor holding weapons in their hands. They came to the celebration, they killed father and took away his head, they found us and tried to make us slaves, they ruined my life. Who were they? What were their names? Their faces?


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter to you does it? You know all you need to, don¡¯t you Hanna?¡± (Loria)


    Did I, what was it that I knew?


    Loria leaned in closer to me, her voice was quiet and I had to strain to hear her.


    ¡°They were human, weren¡¯t they? Aren¡¯t things like that just one example of the many terrible things that humans do?¡± (Loria)


    I was shocked, the answer was so simple. Human, they were all human. I began remembering all the horrors and evils I knew were committed by humans, there were too many to count. It was so obvious now why they had all done what they did, why all those bad things happened in my life.


    ¡°Yes they were all human, just like you are human¡­¡± (Loria)


    I flinched back and stared in horror at Loria, slowly I looked down at myself and the horror grew.


    ¡°Yes you know well the horror of humanity, don¡¯t you Hanna? You know it far better than most ever will.¡±


    I was weak, selfish, confused, scared, lost, alone, and sitting in my own filth. I was human. This was humanity. I hated this, I hated humanity, I even hated myself.


    ¡°No Hanna, that¡¯s wrong.¡± (Loria)


    I looked up again and saw Loria with new eyes. She was so beautiful, so clean, so smart and sure of herself and¡­


    ¡­Not human¡­


    Loria smiled at that and her eyes twinkled.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m not human. Lord Waynor created me as a muse, a creature created from a dungeon.


    Waynor¡­


    It was a name that brought back many memories, happy memories filled with joy and contentment.


    ¡°I¡¯m something most humans hate, I¡¯m something your brother hated¡­¡± (Loria)


    Ulisus hated¡­?


    I didn¡¯t understand why she would say that.


    ¡°Yes, Ulisus hated me. He hated lord Waynor. He Hated Instinct and Ralt and everything related to the dungeon. He hated your new home Hanna, but most of all he hated all things that weren¡¯t human¡­¡± (Loria)


    No, it was a lie. It had to be a lie. Ulisus wasn¡¯t like that, he was a little stubborn but he was also kind. I saw flashes of Ulisus helping strangers in our home town, laughing and playing with me, protecting me from a mean dog, accusing me of killing him, collaring and enslaving me while I cried and pleaded for him to stop, slowly ripping off my skin and eating it with Mama and father¡­


    ¡°Ulisus loved humanity, you know that better than anyone don¡¯t you? Hanna, you know the truth¡­¡± (Loria)


    I did, I could remember all the times he talked about some of the other races. The way he treated the beastkin slaves.


    The way I treated the slaves¡­


    Humanity, it was such an ugly and evil thing. How had I not realized before, how had I not known? Ulisus loved that humanity, and even I had favored it in the past.


    ¡°Hanna, do not hate humans. Those bound by the chain of humanity, those who are slaves to it, they deserve our pity more than our hatred¡­¡± (Loria)


    Pity¡­?


    ¡°Yes Hanna, pity them. Pity them and try to help them, to free them from the horrors of humanity. If you can¡¯t free them then it is only right to lessen the hold humanity has over them, as we have tried with you. It is only when nothing can done, when a person¡¯s bonds of humanity change into true love rejecting all else besides that humanity, it is only then were nothing can be done for them¡­¡± (Loria)


    I recalled all the times that Waynor had offered to place a soulstone in me, I had turned him down each time. I had protected my humanity, glorified the ugliness and evil inside myself while turning away another option as wrong without thought. I could remember all the good points that my taking in a soulstone would bring, eternal life and youth not the least among them, and the only downside being losing my humanity and the ties to the gods that humans naturally had.


    What had the gods ever done for me anyway? Waynor has done so much¡­


    The voices were quieting and the memories had faded out of my vision, I felt clearer now. I also felt strange, like I was beginning to find something important but it was still beyond my reach. I could feel it, a sense of importance, something that still mattered, truly mattered to me. There was something I wanted, something I needed, something I was coming to realize I had foolishly thrown away many times.


    ¡°Your brother, Ulisus, was one such human. A human so in love with and devoted to his humanity he despised all else. I saw into his mind Hanna, I saw what he would have done knowing he was surrounded by what he considered monsters. He would have fought, killed, enslaved, and persecuted us for nothing more than not being human or one of what he considered tolerable races. He would have become Lord Waynors enemy, a danger directly to his existence¡­¡± (Loria)


    I trembled as I heard her speak, a part of me, a large part, had realized Loria was right. Ulisus was a human in love with his humanity, that was how he had always been, there was no way he would ever accept living beside non-humans as different as the mites were. I had been deluding myself to think he would, no amount of time or arguments would have changed that. I knew that fact better than most, Ulisus was my brother after all.


    ¡°And that danger he posed to Lord Waynor is why I asked that boy Feris to kill Ulisus.¡± (Loria)


    My world stopped, I turned away from Loria and simply looked ahead. The voices were just whispers, but they were stronger now and condemned me all the more.


    ¡°Dear Daughter, how could you befriend a monster? How could you betray us like this¡­¡± (Mama)


    ¡°She killed me Hanna, that thing killed me! You have to avenge me Hanna! Did you ever care about me? Then you have to avenge my death!¡± (Ulisus)


    ¡°Daughter, I had thought you had better sense. Of course monsters would do such things, did you not listen to all the stories? The monsters aren¡¯t ever the heroes in them for a reason, Hanna¡­¡± (Father)


    ¡°I see that you have more suffering to do before you can accept things, I¡¯ll leave you to that now, Hanna. I would help if I could, but Lord Waynor was very clear with me to not do more than read from you when using my powers. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll just need some time...¡± (Loria)


    I saw Loria set something on my bed out of the corner of my eye, I looked over to see it was a platter full of food and drinks. I didn¡¯t remember seeing it before, but seeing it now brought a clenching pain to my stomach and throat.


    ¡°Instinct will be here with you, she¡¯ll make sure you have food and can help you in¡­ other ways¡­¡± (Loria)


    Loria began moving back, she was headed for the door out of my room when she stopped and glanced back at me.


    ¡°I have always thought of you as my friend Hanna and I¡¯m sorry for your suffering, but I¡¯m not sorry for what I did. Ulisus was unfortunately too far beyond saving, too fully in love with humanity, too much a danger to Lord Waynor¡­ He had to die, it was necessary.¡± (Loria)


    Loria turned and left, and I felt a few tears slip down my cheeks. It was strange since I thought I couldn¡¯t cry anymore, I guess that was just another thing I was wrong about. I had already been wrong about so much it didn¡¯t surprise me at all.


    <hr />


    ¡°Nothing¡­ Dear Daughter, you are nothing. Everything you were was because of us and now that we¡¯re gone you have nothing, are nothing.¡± (Mama)


    ¡°I know Mama, I¡¯m nothing¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Daughter you were a disappointment, did I ever tell you that? So much potential and all of it wasted because you didn¡¯t inherit the family gift, the least you could have done is tried to learn some sort of magic. It might have shortened your life, but at least then your short life would be more useful¡­¡± (Father)


    ¡°I know, I disappointed you father. I disappointed everyone¡­ I¡¯m useless¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°When are you going to kill that monster, Hanna? Will you ever avenge me? I would have done anything for you, yet you won¡¯t even grant me rightful vengeance against a monster? Why Hanna, did you really care so little about your brother?¡± (Ulisus)


    I dropped my head, tears forming in my eyes again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t¡­ She¡¯s my friend, the only friend I have left¡­¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°You¡¯re weak, dear daughter¡­¡± (Mama)


    ¡°Pathetic¡­¡± (Father)


    ¡°Disgraceful¡­ Being friends with a monster? Hanna, you are a disgrace on the Tultsven name¡­¡± (Ulisus)


    I hung my head speaking softly.


    ¡°I know¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± (Hanna)


    The water was beginning to cool, and the breeze running through and helping to clean my hair was the only source of warmth I felt. I was glad to have it even if it wasn¡¯t an actual touch of another flesh and blood being, it was the best she could offer me now and I appreciated it more than I could say.


    ¡°The voices are back aren¡¯t they?¡± (Instinct)


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to speak, I just nodded as I began to cry again. I hated that she saw me like this, at the same time though I felt comforted by her being here with me when the voices came. Instinct was good at helping me drive them away again.


    ¡°You remember what you have to tell them right, Hanna?¡± (Instinct)


    I nodded, it was the one thing that could stop the voices. The one thing I had left that my family hadn¡¯t given me and couldn¡¯t take away. Instinct had reminded me of it, helped me find and embrace it.


    ¡°It would¡¯ve been better if you¡¯d never been born, then we¡¯d all still be alive wouldn¡¯t we, Dear Daughter? You realize that now don¡¯t you? I would¡¯ve never gotten sick, your father wouldn¡¯t have been killed, and Ulisus wouldn¡¯t have ever been taken from home. You were the cause of it all¡­ Tell me dear daughter, are you satisfied now that you¡¯ve killed us all?¡± (Mama)


    I shook my head, trembling as Mama¡¯s voice accused me of my deepest fear. Instinct had told me it wasn¡¯t true, that whatever the voices said was simply my mind playing cruel tricks on me since deep down I still wanted to suffer. Instinct said that I needed to get through it, to endure the suffering so I could be reborn as a new Hanna.


    I wanted to be the Hanna she talked about, the one who was free of humanity¡¯s chains and knew her place and purpose as surely as her own existence. The Hanna that got to be with Waynor, the Hanna who wouldn¡¯t feel strange seeing and talking to Loria, the Hanna who would live happily in Waynor¡¯s dungeon for all of time. I wanted to be that Hanna more than anything.


    I said the words softly but I put all of my feelings, all the hopes and desires that were still beyond my reach, into the words.


    ¡°I¡¯m Waynor¡¯s pet. I belong to my lord and master Waynor and no other.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Useless broken thing¡­¡± (Father)


    ¡°I am a loyal pet. I will not betray Waynor.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Disgusting, how could you have ever been my sister? How could you have ever been human?¡± (Ulisus)


    ¡°I am a useful and obedient pet. I¡¯ll do as Waynor asks and commands.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°Sickening¡­¡± (Ulisus)


    Only Ulisus¡¯ voice was left, his was always the last and hardest one to force away.


    ¡°I want to be Waynor¡¯s pet. It is my purpose and joy.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°You let me die to become a slave¡­¡± (Ulisus)


    ¡°I¡¯m Waynor¡¯s pet. I belong to my lord and master Waynor and no other.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°A slave to monsters no less¡­¡± (Ulisus)


    ¡°I am a loyal pet. I will not betray Waynor.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°There was a time I could be proud of you, where I was proud of you. I feel nothing but disgust for you now¡­¡± (Ulisus)


    ¡°I am a useful and obedient pet. I¡¯ll do as Waynor asks and commands.¡± (Hanna)


    ¡°I blame you, sister. I hope you realize¡­¡± (Ulisus)


    ¡°I want to be Waynor¡¯s pet. It is my purpose and joy.¡± (Hanna)


    The voice wasn¡¯t going away, it was even starting to get louder. I knew I needed to get it to stop, I couldn¡¯t leave my room until the voices were gone forever. I couldn¡¯t see Waynor again until I could leave my room, Instinct made that very clear.


    I kept repeating the words, they were the phrases that defined who I was, what I was, and what I wanted to become. The words steadied me, reminded me of what mattered and that I never needed to fear being alone or abandoned. The words were my new gospel, they defined the only laws I need follow. Saying the words aloud helped me, but what I thought as I said them was what I knew helped to heal me and my mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m Waynor¡¯s pet. I belong to my lord and master Waynor and no other.¡± (Hanna)


    I love Waynor and that¡¯s fine, it¡¯s natural for a pet to love its master¡­


    ¡°I am a loyal pet. I will not betray Waynor.¡± (Hanna)


    I¡¯ll never allow any harm to come to my home, my friend, and especially not Waynor¡­ I¡¯d die first¡­


    ¡°I am a useful and obedient pet. I¡¯ll do as Waynor asks and commands.¡± (Hanna)


    I would do anything¡­ everything¡­ All for him, all for myself¡­


    ¡°I want to be Waynor¡¯s pet. It is my purpose and joy.¡± (Hanna)


    I want to be free of my humanity¡­ I don¡¯t want to be human anymore¡­


    The voice was gone and I was in my bed when next noticed. Everything was clean now, my room, my bed, my body, and for the moment my mind. I knew the voices would come back, they always came back eventually, but I felt they were starting to lose their hold on my mind. I looked back to see Instinct hovering behind me with a small anxious smile, I wondered how long I had kept her waiting when dealing with the voices this time.


    ¡°They¡¯re gone¡­ The voices went away again¡­¡± (Hanna)


    She smiled as a plate of fruit appeared beside me on the bed and I felt a breeze caress my head where her outstretched hand touched me.


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you Hanna, it¡¯s taking less time for you to send them away now.¡± (Instinct)


    I smiled at that, maybe soon the voices would be gone forever. Then I could start my new life, a better life, a pet¡¯s life¡­


    <hr />


    ¡°Hanna, please¡­ Mother is gone, Father is gone, and I¡¯m all that¡¯s left Hanna¡­ You have to listen to me¡­ It¡¯s not too late¡­¡± (Ulisus)


    I didn¡¯t look away from my full length dress mirror, I think I looked healthy now but I still seemed a bit thinner than before. I might have to exercise more to build back up what I lost from all that time in starving in bed before and simply in my room these last few weeks.


    Could you be quiet? I¡¯m trying to decide what I want to become when Waynor saves me from my humanity, hearing your voice is distracting¡­


    ¡°Hanna, listen¡­ You can¡¯t let them do this¡­ You¡¯ll give up more than your humanity¡­¡± (Ulisus)


    It wouldn¡¯t be much longer now, Ulisus¡¯ was the only voice left and even that voice was struggling to be heard now. It would only be a day or so more, then I would be free of the voices forever and my mind would be clean and solely my own again. I would also get to caste off my humanity and begin my new life, I almost couldn¡¯t stand the waiting.


    ¡°You still have your soul¡­ You know that, so I know it too¡­ If you do this, Hanna, you¡¯ll be giving the dungeon the only thing it didn¡¯t get from you in your contract with it!¡± (Ulisus)


    I winced, the voice had seemed a bit stronger near the end there.


    Good¡­ I¡¯d hate to keep something as important as my soul from Waynor¡¯s possession¡­


    ¡°¡­Why? Why did you become like this? I cant-¡­¡± (Ulisus)


    I sighed as the voice disappeared. I thought of it more as an annoyance now then any sort of real problem, but it was still nice to have it gone. I almost couldn¡¯t remember why I had so much trouble with the voices two weeks ago when Instinct stopped staying with me constantly, back then it seemed like the voices would never stop but now there was only one. Only one voice that was getting weaker all the time.


    As I looked into the mirror at my bare and naked form trying to determine how I¡¯d like it to change I had a sudden realization.


    I¡¯m a pet¡­ And what makes for a better pet than a playful fennic¡­


    I smiled at my reflection imagining what I could become, I¡¯d heard of non-humans called kitsune and what I was imagining seemed a lot like how they were described in stories. I quite liked the idea of a few tails for myself and two more cute triangular ears on the top of my head, and as my smile grew I found myself more in love with the form I was beginning to imagine as my ideal.


    ¡­I¡¯ll be such a great pet for Waynor¡­


    <hr />


    <hr />


    <hr />


    So yep that was a thing...... YAAAAY!!! wasn''t that a fun little trip with Hanna''s inner demons....


    anyway this is the end of ark 2 for D.I. and besides the book exclusives this is the last chapter of Volume 1 as well. Luckily if your reading this on DPP you''ll be getting one of the 5 book exclusives in a public release... Yaaaay Favoritism!!! You fans on DPP also get to pick what exclusive chapter you want released for October (Via monthly poll....) and on Halloween here in the good old US of A i''ll be putting out the exclusive chapter with the most votes....


    here are what your choices will be, remember to choose wisely!!!


    1.) Yula/Tula Chapter, Hints on WTF Nora is....


    2.) Sealiven Queen chapter, Cecilia is a WHAT?!?!


    3.) Metia Prince Chapter, Yay politics and resource opportunities!


    4.) Waynor chapter, dungeon making and automata... gotta prepare for guests after all...


    5.) Winalfor beastking chapter.... foreshadowing... plenty of minor foreshadowing...


    Oh and remember to bookmark, follow, favorite, share, comment, rate, review, and all that other good stuff wherever you''re reading this from...


    oh or you can pop by the D.I. discord to see if i''m writing your crack, and to share the love and fandom.... or just yell at me to write faster....


    Author Out.....

 Halloween special chapter (E-book Exclusive)

    POV: Waynor


    <hr>


    Hanna was broken, Instinct and Loria had broken her. It was something that happened without my knowledge or impute, Instinct and Loria had acted on their own. Now Hanna acted very differently than she used to and never left her bed, she didn¡¯t even use the bathroom she had me make for her and simply expelled her waste on her bed. She had long since ruined the dress she was wearing, and she was also not keeping herself healthy.


    I couldn¡¯t do much for her, but Instinct and Loria said that they knew how to fix Hanna. Instinct assured me that they could make her better than she was before, Loria thought that Hanna would even let me implant a core into her soon. Since Instinct and Loria said that they could fix Hanna I left the matter to them, I only give Loria a few rules since I didn¡¯t want her to change Hanna¡¯s mind with her abilities.


    Hanna needed time, Instinct and Loria were very clear about that, but she would be better than new soon. With that in mind I didn¡¯t worry much more about her condition, I merely watched over her from time to time.


    It was interesting, no, it was simply fascinating how Hanna acted while she was broken. The more I observed her and saw how she acted the more I enjoyed it, it was strange at first since I was sad about Hanna being like this but still I deeply enjoyed what I saw. It took me time to realize that what I enjoyed was not that Hanna was broken like this, but the broken state itself. If it was occurring in someone other than Hanna I thought that I would enjoy it all the more and that I wouldn¡¯t feel so conflicted about things as I did while observing Hanna.


    I decided that I would have to break some of the other guests to confirm if what I thought was really the case, but I didn¡¯t doubt my thoughts and feelings. It was plain to see for me, the sheer amount of beauty that the broken state contained was immense. The feelings that it brought about seemed so pure yet at the same time so tainted, brokenness was a state full of beautiful contradictions like that. I wondered if there could be more, if this state of broken was individually as different between it¡¯s hosts as mites could be from other mites. It was something that I was excited to test, but I wouldn¡¯t be able to begin testing my ideas on some of the guests for a while.


    Thinking on these things and excited about the prospect of having new guests visiting my dungeon soon I began to work on the changes that my contract with the explorers required of me. I started by expanding my territory out so I could create the mine, but that turned out to be far more difficult than I thought it would ever be. Every time I expanded my territory out I had to push it through what felt like another strange and foreign territory. I could overpower and displace this strange territory with my own but it took effort and without my constant attention the strange territory would reclaim the space I had taken from it.


    It took me an entire day to realize that the strange territory belonged to the gods, though since I did not encounter much godly power outside of the protections on Hanna, Ulisus, and the explorers I couldn¡¯t be entirely sure. It seemed that the entire area outside of my entrance belonged to that strange foreign power, and with that discovery I decided to more closely observe my own territory.


    I learned a lot from observing my own territory, and I also learned how simple and instinctual my thoughts on my own territory was before. My territory was an entirely new dimension, a dimension that besides the entrance itself was largely separated from everything else outside my dungeon. I had trouble expanding my territory to the outside because everything present outside of my dungeon was fundamentally removed from myself. The outside was protected, and I could not take that protected space any more than another could take my own territory away from me. Knowing this made me wonder if that meant that the gods that Hanna and Instinct mentioned so often were actually other dungeons, that would explain the trouble I was having at least.


    With my new understanding of territory and the outside world I changed my approach to expanding out my territory. I focused on a specific spot to the right of my entrance, I expanded my territory out to only enclose that specific spot. The spot was close to my entrance and it was even on the same rocky outcropping, but it was still incredibly difficult to claim this spot as a part of my territory. It was difficult, but with time I succeeded.


    I made the spot into a new yet separate floor and with the establishment of this strange new floor I had the feeling that it needed a new entrance, this new entrance was smaller than the opening in the rocks that served as the entrance to my dungeon but strangely this felt appropriate.


    With the creation of the new floor I had lost more power than I would thought, it left me with less power than before I took in Hanna. I carefully expanded out the new floor that would serve as the mine, but after creating a base ten rooms I stopped. I decided that I would have to work on the mine in parts as I accumulated power, but there was still something else that I felt I should create before new guests began to visit.


    I wanted to make a new creature for my entrance and rest floors, one whose appearance the seven races would accept better than the mites and would want to interact with like they did with the muses. The only problem I was facing were the limited amount of power and samples I had to create this new creature with, luckily the solution to both could easily be resolved with time¡­


    ***


    I had sent out Ralt and his mites to collect more samples and ¡°master the land¡± as Instinct suggested, the mites were clearing sections of the forest, creating smooth paths that Instinct called roads, and bringing back all sorts of new things for my sample database or simply to kill inside my dungeon for power collection. I had decided to add some of the animals that I liked to my first level, they helped to complement the beauty of the plants well and also served as a new source of power and entertainment. Some of the samples that the mites brought back were even directly released into the first level as that conserved more power than me simply creating more.


    I was happy with how things were going and Hanna even seemed to be fixed now, although I couldn¡¯t meet or talk to her yet. Instinct said that Hanna needed to move past the final step before that, but she also said that this final step wouldn¡¯t take too long so I didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡­Now I just need to figure out how to make this more beautiful and able to speak human¡­ Maybe by adding aspects from the pixie or muse to it? ¡­This would be much easier if I could add humans or elves to my database¡­This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    I was working on creating a new creature for my guests to interact with, something that the seven races wouldn¡¯t be too uncomfortable. I had decided to use the strange human looking thing my database identified as a golem that the mites brought back on their first sampling trip as the base for my new creature, now I was just trying to figure out how to change and improve it.


    The base was strange enough on its own as the golem was some sort of living stone that required both animus and mana, so changing and altering that base was much more difficult than it was to change things that only required one of the power types. Luckily my increased understanding and comprehension on the makeup of the countless forces of power helped me to better alter the strange golem that needed two types of power to live. I started by reshaping the golem, making it into a better mimic of a human and trying to change its color and texture to better match it¡¯s a human. I quickly found that doing something like that cost too much power for my liking so I began to try different ways in the hopes I could find one that created something I liked at a cost I was happy with. Now I was at the point of trying to combine other samples with the golem sample as the base to see if that was better.


    ¡­Maybe have the golem part as a sort of internal base and add the humanlike appearance around that base? ¡­Hmm¡­ Yes, I think I can do that¡­


    I changed the golem base so that it mimicked a human¡¯s skeleton, it took time to mold the golem into the right shape though. I molded the stone and filled it with power, then I began to wrap the stone skeleton with the flesh and skin aspects of a muse. I shaped the flesh and sculpted a being that while beautiful and alluring was not as supernaturally beautiful as a muse naturally was, I gave this creature silver hair and eyes while making its features softer and what I thought was more approachable. I had noticed that the absolute ethereal beauty of a muse could be a negative when dealing with guests, it can shock and overwhelm them and I didn¡¯t want this creature to do that. This creature was going to serve a different purpose, many different purposes.


    I flooded the creature with more power and began to put in the finishing touches, I started with intellect. I made the creature smart, giving it immense learning capabilities along with strong analysis and comprehension abilities. It was made to be more intelligent than the average mites and humans as I understood them, but made it less innately intelligent as a muse. I enhanced the physical abilities of the creature, giving it incredible strength, agility, dexterity, and balance. Then I worked on its magical ability, I gave them a magical ability to judge and classify anything they saw within certain limits. I also gave them minor dimension manipulative magic, just enough so that they could create a small pocket space. The dimensional magic component was the most difficult to add, but I seemed to just naturally and instinctively understand how dimensions and space operated and what needed to be done to change and manipulate it. I added a lot to the creature but it still cost less power this way than any of my previous attempts, when I was finally finished the name there was a name that came to me. It wasn¡¯t a name that I came up with myself, it just appeared in my mind and seemed to be right for my creature.


    ¡­Automata¡­ Huh, I guess I¡¯ll just call this an automata then¡­


    I brought the automata into being and looked it over, it was nude and obviously female. Hanna had always insisted on the importance of clothes for humans, so I thought that the automata who were made to mimic humans should wear clothes as well. With a little mana I had created a white gown for the automata, but it simply held the gown instead of wearing it.


    ¡°You can put that on now.¡± (Waynor)


    The automata looked up at me and its face scrunched up in confusion and melancholy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how¡­¡± (Automata)


    ¡°Here I¡¯ll help you. Your arm goes through here¡­¡± (Waynor)


    I helped the automata put on the gown while I thought on whether or not I should give her a name. Names were important, they gave something added uniqueness and power while also indelibly tying the named things soul to the one who named them. In my case I understood that this phenomenon of naming was more exaggerated than it was for humans, the names I gave simply mattered more since I was a dungeon.


    Should I just name the first of every new species of creature I create? ¡­Maybe I¡¯ll do that from now on, but what should this one¡¯s name be? ¡­Hmm¡­


    ¡°My Lord Dungeon, this one is ready to serve for as long as this one is needed. This one is waiting for her first command.¡± (Automata)


    I looked at the bowing automata who stared forward with clear and resolute eyes, her gaze was also slightly lowered out of respect. I checked the amount of power I currently had by bringing up my menu.


    [ Name: Waynor ]


    [ Titles: ¡°Icon of Patience¡±, ¡°Self-Named Dungeon¡±, ¡°The One Who Endures¡± ]


    [ Rank: 1 ]  [ Dominion Level: 0 ]


    [ Territory: N/A ]  [ Dungeon Views: {invaders (threat)} {overview} ]


    [ Power: { Mana: 814} { Animus: 11,973} ]


    [ Class: ??? ]  [ State: Flawless core]


    [ levels: 1 ]  [ Floors: 17 ]  [ Entrance/Exits: 2 ]


    [ Inhabitants: {???: 1} {humans: 1} {Mites: 1,000,000+ (Hive Mothers: 13) (Warrior Mites: 4,539)} {Elementals: (Wisps: 123,421)} {Fae: (Pixies: 49,206) (Muses: 3)} {Golem: (Automata: 1)} {Plants: (Corrupted plants: 1,000,000+) (Carnivorous vines: 64) (flower soldiers: 56,834) (parasitic seeders: 123)} ]


    [ Traps: {Spike: 23} {Pitfall: 2304} {Arrow: 2580} {Wall: 921} {Ceiling: 451} {Fire: 652} {Poison: 737} {Acid: 402} {Maze: 4 } {Magic: 41,390} {Original design: 2,133} ]


    [ Creation Options: {Mana: (Expansion) (Building) (Decoration) (Design) (Trap Creation) (Core Growth) (Rune Creation) (Core Restoration) }  {Animus: (Dungeon Lord Creation) (Inhabitant Creation) (Soulstone Creation/Granting) (Name Bestowal) (Mutation/Evolution Management) (Core Growth) (Core Restoration} ]


    [ Destruction Options: {Mana: (Magic) (Deconstruction) (Siphoning) (Absorption) (Portation) (Teleportation) (Automatic Item/Magic Recycling)}  {Animus: (Siphoning) (Absorption) (Remodification/Recreation) (Automatic Life Recycling)} ]


    [ Unique Ability Options: (Adaptive Database) (Adaptive Power Comprehension) (Adaptive Omni-Language Processes) (Dimensional Mastery) (Mana/Animus Conversion) (Over-Bestowal) (Absolute Contract) (Memory Processing Orb) ]


    [ Stored/Owned Bosses: {Dungeon lord (Unknown): 1} {Muse: 3} ]


    [ Listed Known Creations: {¡Þ} ]


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll give you a name first¡­ Your name shall be¡­ Lilly.¡± (Waynor)


    She smiled as she looked up at me and strangely she began to cry, I didn¡¯t remember designing my automata with the ability to cry so it was surprising.


    ¡°Yes, this one is Lilly. This one thanks Lord Dungeon for bestowing this lowly one with her name.¡± (Lilly)


    I liked her smile, Lilly had a nice pure smile. It contained a lot of emotions many of which I couldn¡¯t identify, I would need more memories and more contact with humans, elves, and the other five races. I really looked forward to when lots of guests would start to visit, there was so much I wanted from my guests after all.


    I hope someone visits soon¡­ Oh, but I still have to do more before they arrive¡­ Then I can begin to create the next level of my dungeon, I think I¡¯ll fill it with trees¡­ and maybe use those spiders as a base for the new creatures, after all the mites worked out well¡­

 Stuff on Volume 1 and Volume 2s future

    so yeah this has been a LONG volume... Like 500 pages of LONG...


    anyway for all you fans waiting on the next chapter and the begining of volume 2 sorry to say but you''re in for a bit of a wait. Mainly because i want to play around with some other story ideas and i''m also trying to decide the format of writing D.I. will be done in from now on.


    "So far the writing format has been like this... what i''ll be calling a web-novelish style of writing" (AaronDragon)


    "But after writing in this more traditional style for a while i''m finding it harder to write in that web-novelish style..." AaronDragon said with resignation.


    so yeah, that''s a problem too and i''m leaning towards just editing/rewriting volume 1 in that more traditional style. that would take some time and would delay the release of volume 2 for a bit (Though i can just as easily write the next chapters while also editing the e-book for publishing... might just go with that idea actually...)


    though it might not change my opinion on this whole style/format change i would like to hear you guys, the fans, opinion on which style you''d like to see. it would give me a better idea of what my reader base would be comfortable with reading...If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    So i guess long story short, D.I. will be coming back with volume 2 in 2017...


    <hr>


    In other news i''m starting a story that i''ve been considering since my early writing days... in fact this was one of the story ideas that i was considering alongside Black Blood, so it''s about a year old and i figured i might as well start it now. It''s a sort of necromancy story that''s loosely inspired by things like Overlord and various other stories...


    here''s the synopsis i''ve come up with so far:


    Life is cruel but death is fair, at least that is the lie that all the living are lead to believe. Death is fair because it is unbiased and unprejudiced, it comes for everyone equally and randomly. If everyone dies and everything dies then death must be fair, but what if it simply wasn¡¯t. What if death was far from being fair. It¡¯s an idea that the living instinctively recoil from, because if even death isn¡¯t fair then nothing can be.


    Alex Grimm didn¡¯t panic when the first few videos began popping up on the web, he didn¡¯t cower when the nightmare reached his school, and most of all he didn¡¯t pretend that nothing was happening and everything would be alright. Alex Grimm had been called many things in his life: Gamer, Geek, Loner, but the one thing most didn¡¯t know about him, the thing he hadn¡¯t even known about himself, was that Alex Grimm was a determined survivor. And in a time that¡¯s being called Armageddon, being a survivor is a damn good thing¡­


    I''ll be putting this story out in a few weeks... maybe... depends on how much writing i can get in...


    <hr>


    So yeah some stuff to look foreward too... a new story and volume 2 of D.I.


    hope you all stick around for whats to come


    AaronDragon Out...

 End of Volume 1 (Dungeon Instinct Q and A)

    Ok, so here''s how i''m going to have this work:


    You guys leave a question you have about the story or just the series in general below in the comments and either I or some other willing and knowledgable fan will reply with an answer.


    See it''s simple, easy, and... Yeah, somehow i know i''ll fuck it up.


    a few quick things you should know about this "End of the volume Q&A":


    1. Let me just say it now [Spoiler Warning!!!]. I''m going to try not to answer anything that''s to much of a spoiler, but i might end up giving away hints or minor things so... yeah, you''ve been warned...If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    2. If someone is giving out wrong answers i''m probably going to end up correcting you, but there is a chance i''ll just leave it alone so that i can mess with people later on int the story with a review.


    3. if you''re going to ask for confirmation on a plot theory you have for D.I. i''m not going to confirm anything. you might get a "That''s close" or a "Maybe ; )" out of me, but that''s it.


    4. Yeah, dont ask me about why i''m not writing on this more, or why i''ve dropped other projects... the answers are "I have a life that gets in the way a lot" and "Various reasons..." So, yeah... Just, please dont ask...


    And that''s basically it... I''m probably going to stop replying to questions on this post after 2018, but until then i''ll try and get to every question... Man i hope a few people post questions... This will be so embarassing to check up on later if no one had anything to ask me about the series...


    Anyway, that''s enough of me going on and on... Now''s you, the fans, moment to shine!


    Ask away!

 Volume 2: Prologue

    POV: Logan Metia


    <hr>


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I had heard, it was just so unrealistic and unbelievable that my mind seemed to just refuse to process the information. Rubbing at the bridge of my nose I tried to contain my urge to either sigh or break out into laughter, a royal prince was supposed to remain resplendent and composed at all times after all. ¡°Could you¡­? Could you just go through the report again?¡±


    ¡°Of course my prince.¡± The man who had practically raised me simply bowed with an understanding smile. ¡°It seems that there has been a rather unique dungeon discovered to our eastern border. The first to encounter it seems to be a mercenary group called the Bloody-Fist group, but the explorer¡¯s guild was quick to make confirmations on the intelligence that the group sold to them.¡±


    ¡°That much I understand, but this is where you begin to lose me Clark¡­¡± It was common enough for some lucky person or group to find an unknown dungeon and turn in that information for coin, it was the next parts of my steward¡¯s report that confused me.


    ¡°Yes, well that is quite understandable my prince. This, after all, is something that I also had trouble believing. In fact if I had not heard this from my most reliable source in the guild then I would¡¯ve dismissed it as a foolish rumor¡­¡± As the man coughed into his hand and pulled a paper from the pocket of his waistcoat his expression still seemed a bit disbelieving. ¡°Ahem¡­ Apparently Guild Master Johana Yanzya went with a small party to investigate matters personally. Her findings were that the dungeon did in fact exist, that the dungeon could not only communicate but was open to conversing with her and the other members of her party, and that the dungeon had agreed to an exclusive and very favorable contract with the explorer¡¯s guild. Her final report details the resources that were offered up as compensation to the dungeon and the impressive returns that the dungeon was offering. Most notable of which is a high yielding mine with limitless valuable ores and rare precious materials...¡±


    I began rubbing my forehead as the urge to sigh helplessly surfaced in me once again. ¡°And what was this dungeon being ranked as again?¡±


    ¡°Officially? It is ranked as a rank 1 dungeon as that¡¯s what is shown by any dungeon dice used on it¡­¡±


    ¡°And unofficially?¡±


    The man who raised me sighed and ran his hand through his orderly greying hair. ¡°Unofficially, my source reported Johana saying that the dungeon calling itself ¡°Waynor¡± should be considered as a high rank 4 if provoked¡­ And that¡¯s a high rank 4 at the least¡­¡±


    Gods¡­ how did something like that just appear? And what could it possibly have done to make a monster like Johana say it was rank 4!? I had to really fight hard to stave off the urge to sigh. ¡°We need to get in contact with that mercenary group that first discovered the dungeon, Clark set up an appointment with them for later this week¡­¡± This¡­ This is going to cause me a lot of work, I can just tell¡­ ¡°Alright, enough about the strange dungeon for now.¡± Sitting straighter in my seat I readied myself for bad news. ¡°Tell me the latest news on Winalfor¡­¡±


    Clark pulled a new paper from his waist coat. ¡°I believe you already know my prince, but this won¡¯t be good news¡­¡±


    Of course it isn¡¯t¡­ That damn beast king really needs to learn how to lead and govern his people¡­ ¡°Just say it...¡±


    Clark cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem¡­ Well, the more aggressive and warmongering factions of Winalfor that have been gaining power in recent years appear to be making preparations for a major move. They¡¯ve been recruiting and gathering weapons at a concerning rate that my source hasn¡¯t seen before¡­¡±


    I had to hold back a groan. Gods, please don¡¯t tell me things have gotten to the point of civil war in that mess of a kingdom¡­ There¡¯s just no way for the nation to be able to take in a large wave of refugees fleeing war from Winalfor¡­ For not the first time today I considered if I actually wanted to fight my eldest sister for the throne. If being king means dealing with this sort of stress every day¡­ Maybe John had the right idea giving up his claim to the throne to pursue knighthood. Being a knight is probably a lot less stressful then being a king, even with all the life or death battles¡­


    ***


    POV: Regina, Sylph Greengrove


    <hr>


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the spirit host went into a dungeon and managed to somehow survive?¡± I looked at the two women knelling in front of me carefully. ¡°You do realize why it¡¯s hard to believe that considering ¡°her¡± mentality and condition, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes Regina, we do. Nonetheless what we have said is true, under the protection of humans and a half elf the spirit host managed to survive inside a dungeon. In fact it seemed as if she wished to return there when the party was departing¡­¡± Misty looked at me and I could see the truth of her words in her eyes. ¡°We would not lie to you Regina, not after all you¡¯ve done for us¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes! Our fangs and claws are sworn to you and you alone!¡± Glade spoke up interrupting her sister. ¡°We would never even consider lying or attempting to mislead you Regina, we would die first!¡±


    I smiled at her bold words. To most that¡¯s all it would be, mere words, but for the two dragon sisters in front of me it was much more than that. It was a reminder of how far they were willing to go for me as well as a show of their sincerity. ¡°Yes, I understand. I wasn¡¯t doubting you two, I was just trying to understand¡­¡± There¡¯s a group of people who can keep that girl alive in a place as dangerous for her as a dungeon? No that can¡¯t be it, not when it would only take a flex of willpower from a dungeon seed to snuff out the spirits inside her¡­ It¡¯s more likely that there¡¯s a dungeon who was willing to spare her¡­ A dungeon willing to spare spirits¡­? ¡°I think I need to meet a dungeon like that personally¡­¡±


    ¡°Regina?¡±


    ¡°Mistress?¡±


    As I lost myself contemplating the possibility of a dungeon that was at least not inherently hostile to nature spirits I stood up from my throne. ¡°The two of you are dismissed, return to your observations of Cecilia and, I know it¡¯ll be a near impossible task but, try to keep the girl safe in general instead of just preserving her life...¡± Standing up from my throne I moved past the two dragons in elven form as I began heading for the west wing of my palace.


    ¡°Your will be done Regina¡­¡± Misty seemed to simply materialize in front of me in a bow as she opened the massive left throne room door.


    ¡°We¡¯ll try our best Mistress¡­¡± Glade appearing like her sister took a less formal tone as she held open the right door for me.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    I didn¡¯t speak as I walked past, the two were no longer my focus as I quickly made my way through the long halls. My mind was preoccupied with other, far more urgent and important, now. If there really is such a dungeon¡­ This changes things. I¡¯ll need to look into making an escort for myself and¡­ Ah, yes this will be Falla¡¯s first time outside of the palace grounds in over a decade¡­ I¡¯ll need to make sure her guards are the best, I won¡¯t let her suffer a repeat of her pain during the revolt¡­


    My feet coming to a natural halt at a door decorated with twining roses of gold I felt a familiar weight settle on my heart. Pushing open the door I was greeted by the softest and most gentle voice I had ever heard.


    ¡°Hello Mother, is it already time for our afternoon nectar tea?¡±


    I looked lovingly at my daughter but couldn¡¯t help flinching in pain and regret when I saw her sightless eyes and withering legs. Her attendant for the day gave me a nod before turning my daughter¡¯s float-chair to face me. ¡°Lady Sylph, young lady Falla has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. Shall I take my leave now so you two may talk?¡±


    I gave the attendant a nod and as the woman left the room I moved to greet my daughter for the first time today. ¡°Hello Falla, how has your day been so far?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been well. I was in the mood to paint today, so I¡­¡± My daughter motioned vaguely to her left with her hand. Glancing over I saw a clustered and messy work of various colors splattered about randomly displayed proudly on my daughters work easel, seeing it I felt my heart shatter a little more in my chest as tears began to form in my eyes. There was a time when my daughter would paint elaborate and awe inspiring portraits and now because of the cruelty of two men she was reduced to making¡­ this.


    Swallowing down the emotions threatening to boil over inside me I worked real pride and love into my voice as I hugged my precious daughter. ¡°It¡¯s so good¡­ I honestly can¡¯t believe this was made by only a child in her fifties!¡±


    My daughter just giggled shyly as she returned my embrace. ¡°Hehehe, it¡¯s nothing special Mother, just something I made to pass the time¡­¡±


    Caressing her long and silky golden hair I tried even harder to hold back my tears, it would only take one drop for this precious girl to know I was crying. ¡°No, it really is amazing... You should make more, I¡¯d love to see more¡­¡± This had been her fifth attempt at painting since those bastards had taken her sight from her, before Falla used to paint every day¡­


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know Mother, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to make more. It just doesn¡¯t feel right, not when I cant¡­¡±


    I squeezed her tighter in my embrace cutting off her words before she could finish the sentence. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to do anything you¡¯re not comfortable with.¡± Slowly pulling myself away and subtly wiping the wetness from my eyes I decided to try and change the subject. Moving my daughter¡¯s float-chair so that she was seated at the table and pour us two cups of honey nectar tea I began to consider how to bring up what I was considering. I won¡¯t leave Falla here alone, not again. Never again¡­ ¡°Though I have been thinking¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes Mother?¡±


    ¡°Falla, how would you feel about going on a trip with me soon?¡±


    ***


    POV: Iria


    <hr>


    My ears twitched and my tail flicked with annoyance as I recalled the fools talk at the meeting I had attended just under an hour ago. Advisors? Bah, more like arrogant brownnosing idiots!!! At this rate they¡¯ll talk father into leading this country to ruin! As I walked towards my father¡¯s chambers I went over what I planned to say one more time in my mind, this would be the last chance I had and I couldn¡¯t afford to mess things up. For your own sake Father, I hope you¡¯ll listen this time¡­


    As I came to a stop in front of the needlessly gaudy gold-plated doors that lead to my father¡¯s personal chambers I felt myself begin to worry. What if he doesn¡¯t listen again this time? Will I really be able to do it? Will I really be able to¡­ I felt my hand sweep over the blade of one of the twin daggers resting at my hip, the coolness of the treated metal firmed my resolve. Yes¡­ If truly it comes down to it and Father refuses to head my words again this time¡­ Yes, I¡¯ll do what must be done¡­ For the good of my country and my people¡­


    Opening the door I saw my father, a hulking man even for beastkin of the lion tribe, gazing longingly at a maid who was cleaning at his desk. Fighting through my disgust at the man¡¯s blatant display of lust I cleared my throat as I stepped into the room. ¡°Father, I have something very important to talk to you about. I think it would be best for the maid were to leave¡­¡±


    ***


    POV: Feris


    <hr>


    Looking over my shoulder I saw Nora give me a smile and a thumbs up. Sighing I felt myself relax slightly, this didn¡¯t feel right but I knew for a fact that she would never put me in harm¡¯s way. ¡°Are you really sure? It¡¯s not just going to suddenly spring to life and try to eat my soul is it?¡±


    ¡°Oh relax already will you! It¡¯s dead, trust me I¡¯m something of an authority on things being dead¡­¡± She gestured at her flickering insubstantial form that was beginning to become difficult for even me to see. ¡°Now quit whining and stick your hand in the dead lich¡¯s chest already!¡±


    Looking at Nora and then back at the seemingly dead creature in front of me I felt myself hesitate again. ¡°Ok, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you¡­ Because you know I do, I trust you with my life! But, Nora¡­ It¡¯s hard for me to fully believe you after all those other times and when this time you¡¯re floating all the way back there¡­¡±


    As I looked at the ghost of the girl I loved hovering over thirty feet away from me and then back at the supposedly dead undead monster in front of me I felt my confidence in her assessment waver once again. She had been wrong about the deadness of the undead we¡¯d met in this valley a little too often for comfort and I really didn¡¯t want to have to fight something as powerful as a lich because I disturbed its nap.


    ¡°Let me put it this way, that thing has one of my old ribs. Even if by some small chance it is actually alive and does actually try to eat your soul, we¡¯re still going to need to take that rib from it if I¡¯m going to get my body back¡­¡±


    With a sigh I pulled out my new blessed silver dagger and got ready to fight for my life as I moved closer to the lich sitting on a throne of tree branches. What I do for love¡­ Welp, on the bright side I¡¯m finally going to be able to make rank B if I can bring back this thing¡¯s corpse¡­ I just have to not die in this valley¡­ Reaching forward with my left hand and carefully watching the lich for movement I began digging around in its chest searching for the right bone. Please don¡¯t be alive! Please don¡¯t be alive! Please don¡¯t be alive!


    ¡°Feris! Back!¡±


    Jumping back a good ten feet backwards at Nora¡¯s shout I barely missed being skewered by sharpened bones that suddenly grew from the ground I was just standing on. I watched in misery as the lich stood up from its thrown and cold green flames sprung to life in its eye sockets.


    ¡°Foolish and ignorant child¡­ You¡¯d actually dare to sully me with that filth you call flesh?¡± The Lich¡¯s voice was raspy and seemed to worm its way into my mind.


    I felt the sudden urge to just give up, to surrender. After all there was no way I could win so why even bother fighting? There was no way around it, I was doomed. I had always been bad against undead so what chance did I have against one as strong as this. Why did I even come to a place called the valley of damned souls? Nora¡¯s grave was only missing a few bones, I could¡¯ve just gone out and found suitable replacements¡­ Damnit, this was all just one giant mistake! And now, now Nora and I are gonna¡­


    ¡°Snap out of it Feris!¡± I heard her voice, it was shining through the despair and hopelessness that was clouding my mind.


    Nora? Blinking to clear away the fuzziness of my vision and looking up I saw a skeletal hand reaching out for my face. Fuck!!! Leaping back again I readied my dagger as I fell into a low stance and glared at the undead creature that had almost killed me.


    ¡°Interesting¡­ I¡¯ve never seen such a strange protection on somethings mind before¡­ Tell me mortal, what protects your mind from my influence? Magic? An artifact?¡± The lich lowered its arm and stared at me without moving closer.


    Looking at the girl holding on to my shoulder as she floated behind me and then looking back at the lich I felt the sudden urge to brag, after all it had only been due to Nora that I had overcome my weakness to mental attacks and influence. ¡°A ghost, the best ghost there is¡­¡±


    For a moment the lich just stared at me unmoving, but then it suddenly waved its arms and dozens of rotting hands began to burst from the earth. ¡°Fine then mortal, don¡¯t tell me. I¡¯ll just get the answer from you¡¯re enslaved corpse¡­¡±


    Closing my eyes and gathering my mana I felt a soft grip on my shoulder. It took a lot for Nora to make any part of herself tangible now, but I appreciated the sacrifice she made to comfort me. Alright, it¡¯s only a few moving corpses¡­ I can take them! ¡°Ready Nora?¡±


    I heard her sing-song reply even as I sprinted forward. ¡°Come on Feris, you know I¡¯m always ready for a fight!¡±

 Life, Dungeons, and Stories...

    So yeah... Sorry about not posting much lately, but "LIFE" got in the way and i figured that any spare time i had would be better spent writing whatever i could than making a post about why i haven''t been writing...


    I know, bad AaronDragon... But hey, i''m here now and that''s what counts right?


    anyway anyone who''s followed me and my stories for any significant amount of time will know that i have this sort of... Well... Let''s call it an "Attention Problem". Basically i''ll start a new story and then just sort of move on after the first few chapters...


    I''m going to start making a serious effort to stop doing that now. I figure it''s not far to you (the readers), the story, or myself. So instead of doing all this story mapping and outlining only to stop working on it on the second chapter and going on to start something new where i just repeat that process i''m going to cut that loop off right here and now.


    I''m saying it here and now, from now into the foreseeable future (at the very least the rest of 2017) i''m going to stick to only 3 stories. i''ve started them, commited to writing them, and now i just need to be a good little author and finish the damn job by writing them out until they end.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Honestly, i''m a bit annoyed with myself so i know that all of you must be annoyed as hell with me...


    So here''s what''s getting worked on and around when i think i''m going to be working on it:


    Dungeon Instinct: Fall 2017 (May move forward or back depending on when i can find the week it''ll take to reread and edit out the first volume...)


    The Shadow Dungeon: Currently, but subject to random breaks (I plan to work on this off and on along side the other two projects.)


    Night Saga: Spring and summer, i''m hopping i can eke out at least half the first book in that time. maybe even finish the entire full book out entirely...


    So that''s that. i''ve already started to train myself into focusing solely on these stories and just ignoring all the other wonderful and tempting ideas that pop into my head. I''m also going to try and put out a chapter every two weeks at the very least, but i cant make any serious promises about that because as this last month has shown me sometimes life steps in and just utterly wrecks any plans or schedule you may have... Plus i''m trying to get back to releasing longer chapters so it takes more time to write them out...


    ...


    Yep... so that''s basically it... Just wanted to let you guys know what''s up, and give you some reassurance that now you can commit to a story without worrying about when i''ll lose interest in it and stop writing it.


    ...Oh and if you''re reading this on RRL then i''d like to say that this post will be removed as soon as i begin working on D.I. again. oh and please answer the poll...


    AaronDragon Out...

 Coming Soon: Volume 2

    OK, what you need to know:


    1.) I plan to start working on D.I. again in October, and to release the next chapter on Halloween.


    2.) Life is a thing that''s eaten pretty heavily into my writting time with family illness, school, and my new job... So yeah, chapters are going to get released much slower than in the past...


    3.) I''ve finally come to terms with my need to start countless stories and my lack of motivation and time to finish them... My decision was to just go with my gut, i mean what''s the point of writing for free if it isnt fun right? i put WAYYYY too much pressure on myself about this issue.


    4.) I''ve decided to keep myself to one Light Project and one Heavy Project at a time, that way i dont feel overpressured and start dropping things to makeup writing time...Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    5.) I''m kinda losing my inspiration for dungeon stories, i''ve just read so many that they''re all blending together... I have to build up that inspiration and motivation for Dungeon Stories again before i get serious about writing D.I. again... I guess i''ll check around for dungeon stories and see if anything catches my eye or inspires me... {(Recommendations would be helpful...)}


    6.) So Yeah, i''ve decided not to publish D.I.    Get the booing out of the way... I just dont feel that D.I. would make for good publishing, that might change but for now thats what i feel...


    7.) Lastly and most importantly, i DON''T plan on dropping D.I., i''m just slowing down to a near snail''s pace... it may be unpleasant, but look at it this way: "Slow and steady gives an enjoyable and original story both I and you readers can be happy with, fast and rushed gives a choppy story that i will eventually drop out of resentment..."


    Hopefully this will cover everything you need to know, now i''m gonna go get back to writing my new Light Project before i get back to the grind tomorrow...

 Volume 2: Teaser...

    POV: Alma


    ¡°High priestess¡­¡±


    I turned and looked at the monk. He knelt as was proper in the inner sanctum of the high temple, and his white and gold robes concealed his entire body from view. The only reason I could even tell the monk was a man was from the timber of his voice.


    ¡°Yes? You have my attention.¡±


    The monk shifted slightly, a sort of nervous shuffling that told me I wouldn¡¯t like what I was about to hear.


    ¡°High priestess, it would seem that there is a new devil pit¡­¡±


    I surprised my urge to turn away in disgust. Devil pits, or dungeons as the uninformed call them, were bastions of evil. They spawned monsters, feed on the souls of the righteous, and grew more powerful by taking the life of mortals. It was the duty of all the righteous servants of the true god to destroy this evil, but the appearance of a new devil pit shouldn¡¯t cause a monk to be this nervous.


    ¡°So we must simply send a pilgrimage out to destroy the devil pit, this is no cause for alarm.¡±


    The monk shifted nervously again.


    ¡°Unfortunately high priestess, I do not believe it will be so simple to destroy this devil pit¡­¡±


    I cocked my head in curiosity at that.


    ¡°Oh, and why is that?¡±


    The monk looked up and I saw his face for the first time, he was a man of middling years with sun tanned skin and a salt and pepper beard. His green eyes were colored with worry and something that made my stomach sink. There was doubt in his eyes.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°The devil pit has reached out to the kingdom of Metia¡­¡±


    ***


    POV: Kalsaia


    It was hard to contain my rage.


    Everything, the plaything of voids had ruined everything.


    I had carefully planned out how I could gain a foothold on Quellios, I had even created a scion I could use to infiltrate the mortal realm, and then the damn Ascendant Angel came along. When the pulse of divine might ripped through the abyss I had thought that I was going to perish, but I survived. Unfortunately the scion I had been training used the pulse to escape to the mortal realm.


    Kelic, I had named him Kelic. He was to be my gateway, a stepping stone that would open the way to the global conquest of a fertile world.


    My fist was clenched, my talons digging deeply into my palms. This had been more than a mere set back, it had been a total disaster that my rivals hopped to use to dethrone me. Quellios was lost to us, the world was now protected by both divines and voids, and worse yet it appears as if I have lost an ¡°heir¡±.


    No matter Kelic was a mere tool that I planned to dispose of whenever he proved to be a liability, and no matter the noble houses were well aware of my intentions when I gave birth to the child. All the common demon sees is that I have lost my child, and now that the noble houses smell blood in the water they are more than content to simply let that misunderstanding spread.


    I hated the so called ¡°angel¡± Altorus, but he was beyond my power to punish.


    I hated my child Kelic, but he was also beyond my reach¡­


    Unless¡­ He isn¡¯t¡­


    I sat a little straighter in my throne and felt a smile creep across my face as I contemplated what this could mean.


    His soul never returned to the abyss¡­ A void would never accept a soul that was so tainted, especially not after they learned of his parentage¡­ But then, I am positive he died. I felt the moment his life ended, so that leaves the question¡­


    My small smile grew to a twisted grin.


    ¡°Where is my precious scion now¡­¡±


    I closed my eyes and concentrated as I cast out feelers, tethers of power that would seek out even the smallest hint of Kelic¡¯s soul. They would find him wherever he might be in the multiverse, it was only a matter of time.


    As my power drained at a slow but constant rate I opened my eyes, my mood had just had a drastic shift for the better.


    ¡°Oh, my dear precious son¡­ Mommy¡¯s coming, and she has so much left to teach you¡­¡±

 Not D.I... But tell me what you think...

    I walked up to the round stone table while trying to keep the confusion and fear I felt off my face. People were really just animals when you got down to things, and when predatory animals sensed fear they struck. I really didn¡¯t like being on the prey side of the spectrum when things went down, and so I developed great control of my expressions and tells over the years. I doubted there was anyone alive anymore that could tell what I was thinking or even when I was lying straight to their faces, I was more than a little proud of that fact.


    Pulling out an empty stone high backed chair I marveled for a moment at how light the seat made of what looked like marble actually was. Sitting down I finally took a moment to look around.


    On my right was sitting a solider, she was wearing some sort of advanced tactical gear that I had never seen before. The camo body armor looked like someone decided to take some sci-fi power armor from a video game and tone it down to the point a person could actually wear it without having to be some insane body builder or fantasy super solider. It was actually pretty cool looking and the way it hugged her tight athletic figure like a steel glove wasn¡¯t anything to complain about either.


    Probably some sort of advanced prototype¡­ Or maybe some sort of secret military special ops armor, I had heard rumors that the U.S. and Canada had pooled resources for a new spec ops unit¡­


    I focused on the woman¡¯s face, out of necessity I had grown to be a great judge of character. If I could get a read on this solider then maybe I could figure something out to make her less inclined to use that insane rifle of hers on the table that looked like it could shoot lasers. Her features were beautiful, high cheek bones, soft jawline, and a flawless light skin tone combining to give her an artful and delicate appearance. Her golden hair was cut short and cut short, the tips only just brushing under her jaw, and her green eyes had hints of blue in them.


    It was the eyes that told me what I needed to know, the sheer sense of purpose and drive in them let me know that this woman was not one to be trifled with. They were the eyes of a true believer, one of those terrifying old school types that had no doubt that they were doing the right thing and could justify any action they took as being ¡°for the cause¡±. She would be simple enough to manipulate if you made the right first impression, but she would be an absolutely horrifying enemy to have to face.


    Great, I¡¯m sitting next to a fanatic¡­ At least it looks like she¡¯ll make a good bullet shield if things go south, then again she could also just as easily be the one to start the shooting¡­


    I shook my head and turned to the left. Here sat someone who looked like they had stepped out of some old Japanese samurai flick. The man sat straight as a rod, was wearing some sort of kendo training uniform mixed with what looked like ancient Chinese armor straight out of Dynasty Warriors. He also had one of those wide circular straw hats tipped low over his face that kept with the whole mysterious Asian warrior look the man was working with.


    As I looked into his face I saw a mixture of what I thought were Chinese and Korean features, he was handsome enough I guess although his brown eyes had a hint of danger and wildness in them that concerned me. The fact that he seemed to be discreetly inspecting the people around him like I was fine, but the way he did it unnerved the hell out of me. It was like instead of getting a read on the people around him he was selecting his targets and looking for weaknesses. The katana resting on his lap didn¡¯t help matters either.


    For some reason my 9mm is feeling less dangerous by the minute¡­ First there¡¯s power armor lady and her future rifle of death, then there¡¯s this guy who might be some sword master who can cut me down before I can even reach around for my gun¡­ What a group to wake up in a dark room with, I feel so safe and secure¡­


    Facing forward I saw the two sitting across from me. One looked like the token edgy character that had to be in any anime or game nowadays. I couldn¡¯t make out their gender, or much of anything really because they were wearing this ridiculous hooded black coat and bulky grey armor that looked like it belonged in the same video game that miss power armor next to me got her stuff from. There was even a fully opaque mask under the hood hiding the persons face, it was like they were screaming that they wanted attention at the top of their lungs.


    But still, it does do a good job of keeping them unreadable. And if that armor is anywhere as tough as it looks and not just a good piece of cosplay I¡¯m guessing it¡¯ll take more than my 9mm to dent it¡­ Shit, this really isn¡¯t looking good. Why couldn¡¯t I have been drugged and kidnapped by some idiots like the south street kingpins, then I could probably just talk my way out of things in under an hour¡­


    Then there was the other girl across from me. She looked to be about my age or maybe her late teens and was wearing blue jeans and a graphic tee that looked like it was from some rock concert. She had pulled her knees up to her chest and looked to be trembling, her watery blue eyes scanned around her nervously and her left hand seemed to be anxiously playing with her long brown hair. Considering everyone else around me she seemed like she was the only normal person besides me, but then again I had a gun hidden under my jacket and a few knives strapped to my ankle under my faded black jeans so I couldn¡¯t really call myself normal.


    Ah, and then there¡¯s you¡­ The girl who looks to be as scared and confused about the situation as a person could reasonably expect from someone whose been abducted. But then, you also seem to be a bit too normal.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    If I didn¡¯t think smiling would bring even more attention to myself and potentially get me killed I would¡¯ve had a big shit eating grin on my face at that moment.


    You¡¯re a good actress, but you picked the wrong role for this situation. Normally the scared abductee would be the right card to play, but when you¡¯re in a room with a Halo reject, a swordsman straight out of feudal Asia, and Edgelord McNoFace the scared ¡°normal¡± girl stands out like a sore thumb¡­ Props for sticking to the part though, at least you know to commit to the role you¡¯ve chosen.


    Of course there could be the chance I was wrong, the girl across from me could be exactly what she appeared to be, but I doubted she was. When you get good enough at lying you begin to be able to spot other liars, and I was so good at lying my government had me do it for a living. Unless I was getting rusty, and given the fatal implications that would mean I sincerely hoped I wasn¡¯t, the girl across from me was playing the same game as I was at the moment just with a different mask.


    With a twinge of anxiety I realized that this was it, there were only the five of us in this room siting at this table. What made my anxiety worse was that I couldn¡¯t catch even a hint of a tell that could tip me off on who was in charge here, hell from what I saw it didn¡¯t even look like any of these people were involved in kidnapping me. It looked like everyone, well everyone except edgelord who could be high as a kite or making an evil smile at a job well done under that getup of theirs for all I knew, was looking around for answers as well.


    So if the kidnapper isn¡¯t sitting at the table¡­


    I tried to mask my casual glance over my shoulder with a stretch, I didn¡¯t want to alert anyone at the table or hiding in the dark room beyond the light shining down on the table that my focus had shifted. I might as well not even have bothered.


    It was like my casual glance was a gun going off with the way everyone burst into motion. Samurai dude had his katana out and held at the ready pointed out at the darkness, his blade didn¡¯t seem to shake or waver at all and was held with a control and skill that seemed inhuman. Future soldier Jane had her rifle at the ready aiming out at the dark of the room from her kneeling firing position with her back to the high backed chair, I guess it said something about her that even when facing an unknown enemy she still kept cover between her and the rest of us. Edgelord had somehow managed to knock their chair over, crouch behind it for cover, and pull out two hand cannons that made my 9mm look like a cheap squirt gun at a kid¡¯s party all without making a sound. I internally notched edgelord up a few degrees in my ¡°Ohmygawdwhatthefuckiswiththesepeople!?¡± scale, they seemed more than dangerous enough now to pull off that whole ¡°I am Death¡± persona that their outfit seemed to be going for.


    I at least felt a bit better about myself when I saw that the actress playing miss ¡°normal¡± abductee seemed to have a more normal reaction speed. As I pulled out my 9mm and pointed it out at the darkness of the room she only just seemed to be dropping her fa?ade and standing up, it filled me with a strange sort of relief that she didn¡¯t ninja flip onto the table or pull a machine gun out of nowhere. At least I could claim that I had better reflexes than a teenage girl, which having thought about how that would sound I decided I would never say aloud.


    As I aimed out at darkness that I could have sworn was impossible to achieve without being deep in a cave without so much as a matchstick, a thought struck me. A thought that in retrospect probably should have come to me far sooner than now, although given how frequently kidnapping occurs in my line of work I couldn¡¯t really be blamed for glossing over it before.


    ¡°Um, hey¡­ Does anyone remember how we got here?¡±


    I was proud of the way my voice came out steady and smooth even though I was in a full blown panic internally. I couldn¡¯t remember how I could¡¯ve possibly gotten into a situation like this, let alone how someone could have transported me here without my knowledge. Even the best sedatives out there shouldn¡¯t have blacked out much of my memory before having them administered, not with my levels of training and the built up resistances to various drugs and toxins that training gave me. I should have some sort of idea of how I slipped up and got knocked out, hell I probably should¡¯ve even woken up mid-transport depending on how long it took me to get to wherever the hell I was.


    But I didn¡¯t remember anything like that. The last thing I could recall was telling my handler about the latest deal the black roses had worked out with the Ceres cartel before drawing a hot bath, then there was nothing. Just a big blank until I woke up here and walked towards the only light source I could see.


    There was a mumbled curse before a husky feminine voice answered my question.


    ¡°Was on an op in the empire of Brazil. Was down to my last two mags and the imperial guard was closing in, there was a scream and someone yelled ¡°phase charge¡± then nothing¡­¡±


    I shivered at that, it sounded like future solider Jane had been in the middle of some sort of life or death firefight. The fact that she was here and didn¡¯t remember anything after that firefight said a lot that I didn¡¯t want to contemplate, I had never been big on religion in my life and thoughts on the afterlife were vague and distant things for me.


    Wait a minute¡­ EMPIRE of Brazil? What the fuck? Brazil is only just becoming a first world country and it sure as shit isn¡¯t an empire. I think it¡¯s a democratic nation, right? Wait¡­ No, that would be too weird¡­ It¡¯s impossible, just my inner geek getting the best of me¡­


    Clearing my throat I asked a question that I really hoped would be meaningless and dumb.


    ¡°What¡¯s today¡¯s date?¡±


    That same husky feminine voice I assumed belonged to future solider Jane answered back.


    ¡°April 3rd of The Lord¡¯s year 2045.¡±


    A shocked voice that sounded like it came from the actress spoke out in indignation.


    ¡°Bullshit, it¡¯s May 12, 2012.¡±


    A calm and measured masculine voice that could have only come from the samurai answered next.


    ¡°It is 104 A.W., the season is fall.¡±


    A synthetic tone growled out next.


    ¡°The current date is December 18, 2033.¡±


    I winced at the answers, I really didn¡¯t want to be right. Letting out a sigh that showed more emotion than I would have ever allowed normally I gave my own answer.


    ¡°February 21, 2020.¡±


    I had read a lot of comics as a kid, watched more television than any developing child or adult ever should and was well versed in the worlds of anime and video games. With that background my mind drew the only logically conclusion it could, we were all people pulled out of time.


    ¡°Ah, I see you all are getting to know one another¡­ That¡¯s good¡­¡±


    The voice seemed to have no inflection, tone, or gender and it seemed to echo in my mind with every word.


    ¡°I suppose that means it is time for me to introduce myself. Greetings oh chosen few, I am God.¡±