For the next two days, Ozymandias had done various experiments with his mana. He did not claim any further domain. He solely focused on the creatures inside his dungeon.

After many different attempts, he had gotten the gist of the task on how to interact with the creatures.

1. If the creature had no mana beforehand in their body, the creature will die upon sudden injection of his mana into it. The creature will explode.

2. 5/10th the mana will be corrupted into miasma and hence, the creature will become mad and attack everything without abandon.

3. Corrupted creature are most likely to attack something with mana first i.e. the dungeon core.

4. Creatures can build initial mana by ingesing mana filled food or being exposed to the dungeon core for a long time. However, if a creature does not have a mana storage(dubbed as a mana core), the gained mana will be broken down into prana.

5. Forcefully injecting a creature, even if said creature has mana in its body will either corrupt it or kill it. 1/10th will be corrupted.

6. In order to avoid no.5, mana must be injected into a creature subtly and gradually until a mana core forms.

7. After a mana core forms, the creature can take some forceful injection of mana to some extent.

8. Injecting mana into eggs and younger creatures are more efficient and effective.

9. Flies are the worst at receiving mana. Scorpions are the best.

10. Lastly, mana and prana are compatible but miasma are not compatible with either. Mana is superior to prana in terms of energy. Miasma is hard to study.

Having organised his thoughts, Ozymandias focus on the task at hand. This time, he wanted to expand his mana storage. It had been hard for him to multitask with such a low amount of mana in his core. His initial ring was bigger than before. At first, he was able to store only about a hundred unit of mana in his ring but now, he was able to store three hundred units. Also, ten unit of prana can be converted into a single unit of mana.

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Having experimented on the creatures, he had found that an additional ring of mana can be created. The first that was able to create a double ring was a scorpion from the tunnel. The first ring of the scorpion could only accomodate ten unit of mana. On exceeding that limit, the scorpion asleep for a day and when it woke up, it held a second ring. Now that particular scorpion could hold twenty unit in the first and triple that in the second. Also, the mana in its core had significantly got better and more distinct than the others.

As of right now, three scorpions, two beetles and one spider had managed to create additional second ring. There were three spiders, seven beetles, five wasps and two scorpions in the first stage. As for flies, Ozymandias found that trying to create mana heart in their body was not possible for him, yet.

The mongoose carcass was swarming with maggots and flies. It was all mushy and gooey now except for its bones. Thankfully, Ozymandias did not have a olfactory sensor yet or else he will have to run out of the den in order to breathe which he couldn't do as he didn't have legs.

The den was wrapped in his mana. Still prana from the outside world and those released by the creatures in the den were still present, floating towards him like moth to a candle. Yet this wouldn't do.

His focus landed on the maggots. These weren't ordinary maggots. These were maggots filled with mana and look fat and disgustingly juicy.

Ozymandias had learnt how to kill. A dozen maggots got stab with green tendrils and quickly turned to dry husks, before turning to dust and crumbling away.

He tasted the mana. Though the mana was taken from him, it became different once the mana entered a creature. These were crude and unrefined but still acceptable.

At that moment, he sense a new presence in the tunnel, something he had not seen yet. He felt a sense of danger and dread.

Without wasting any moment, he directed his vision towards the tunnel. A creature had intruded into his domain. It was different than the creatures he had seen so far and much bigger.

The creature had a slender body with silky dense fur, a pointed snout and a scaly tail that was one-third of its entire body length. Large and round sparsely haired ears. Small, black and somewhat protruding eyes. Black dorsal fur with white underside. It had four limbs, each with sharp claws. Its mouth was armed with sharp teeth. It was a mouse, six times the size of the dungeon core and about 6 inches long.

It's eyes were focused on one of the scorpion that was living in the tunnel. The scorpion was also the strongest in the entire dungeon and the largest. It was the scorpion that had created the first second ring.

But the scorpion was of no match to the mouse. The mouse was twice its size though the scorpion was longer. Furthermore, the scorpion most lethal weapon, its stinger was of no help as the mouse had strategically incapacitated the scorpion by biting off the stinger first. It happened so fast that Ozymandias had no even managed to send his remaining creatures to fend it off. As if shouting it's victory over its slain for, the mouse howl.

"Argrrrrrrrrrrrrr".

It was a long, loud and mournful high pitch howl. It was a terrifying sound for most creatures.

As if the mouse sensed that it was not safe to stay longer, it dragged the slain scorpion into a hole. Ozymandias didn't bother sending any of his mouse to chased after it as he knew it will be futile. The mouse had incapacitated his strongest creature in an instant. The rest had no chance of defeating it. Moreover, chasing it into the hole will give it a home advantage.

Something awaken in him. An emotion but it was neither anger nor despair. It was desire. He wanted the mouse for his own.

“Now is not the time. I need to get stronger first.“

Ozymandias was logical. In order to claim that creature, he had to have a better and bigger supply of mana. Thus, he resume his tasks of gathering and refining mana.

The mouse didn't appeared again. After killing more than a hundred maggots, ants and flies, Ozymandias knew it was time. He felt full and drowsy. It was time for the next evolution.

Thus, darkness set in.