Historically, ziggurats were constructed by using clay bricks, so to emulate that, I mixed the compressed stone bricks with water-mana-infused water before forming them into bricks once more. Infused with water-mana, these bricks are more flame-resistant and won't erode from the torrential rains that would batter the ancient structure constantly.

Brick by brick, the ziggurat was being constructed faster than even the Sumerians, who invented the structure, could. By the end of the week, the base structure of the ziggurat was completed; now was the time for decoration. On the multitude of roofs lining the sides of the ziggurat, I planted a garden using the grape-like plants from the surface and altered their forms, making the grapes more abundant and larger. Infusing them with life and water mana, the grapes were a Vivid purple color and, upon further examination, contained more juices than its mundane counterpart.

After the rooftop gardens were established, I began carving elaborate figures upon the muddy stone, their forms over time resembling the oldest story known to man. The epic of Gilgamesh It depicted a king descended from the gods, his arrogance, his blossoming friendships, their battles, and his search for immortality. Though one would have to study the entablature for months or years to figure that out. After the elaborate engravings were carved into stone, I began work on the topmost part of the ziggurat, where only high priests and royalty were allowed to enter historically.

At the very top of the long and wide staircase lay the boss room. In the center, an altar was placed for future use. This was supposed to be a place of divinity, so in this room, I sculpted the main gods of the Sumerian pantheon in exquisite detail. Intricate patterns were weaved into the walls of this room, and to make sure you feel like you are in a holy place, I set a light enchantment upon the roof. If one entered the room, rays of radiant light would cascade from the skylight above and illuminate the pantheon I had intricately sculpted.

On the altar, I had written in cuneiform script the most ancient law of man, 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' Here I would place the reward for this floor. It was hidden, and only those who could decipher the script and the epic could ever hope to unlock it. Upon the alter, I placed a death and life mana enchantment. If one were to kill a living sapient being here, a hidden door would unlock using the life mana enchantment to detect if a living thing was even there and a death mana enchantment to ensure that something had died there. Activating The enchantment would unveil the reward, which I have yet to make.

Though I needed a boss for this floor. I wanted to create a 'bull of heaven' from Sumerian mythology, but the only bovines I could find were those who roamed the vast steppes of the south. I would need to create a creature that could contain one and bring it here, though. Perhaps if I can grant my ability to subjugate creatures into one of my monsters and let them simply lure them here, That, if possible, should work, but I would need to make it intelligent.

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I am unsure of whether that would be a wise choice. If it were intelligent and could think for itself, could it escape my subjugation and betray me? I am unsure, but I will never know unless I try. I gather a crow from its stasis since these corvids were the smartest creatures I possessed, and it will act as the best base for greater intelligence. I enlarge its brain and wrinkle it, making it more information-dense; I implant rudimentary memories of the English language upon it; and I infuse its mind with null attribute mana. When the process was complete, I asked,

'who do you serve?'

It looked like it understood the question but couldn't communicate its answer. After a few seconds, it picked up a stick from the ground and wrote,

'You, father'

father? That's an odd word to use, though that's a given considering the English I imparted on it was only first grade level.

' I am not your father, but I am your creator, and as you were created with the purpose of serving me, you shall heed each of my orders and execute them to the letter'

Writing on the loose soil, the crow writes in broken English,

'Yes, creator'

'but first I shall grant you a name... I dub you Herald.'

Stomping on the previous text, the crow now named Herald writes once more,

'What does herald mean, creator?'

'It means he who announces things that have yet to come; it can also mean a messenger of a being of higher stature; it is a fitting name, is it not?'

Writing once more Herald writes,

'Yes, creator'

With my new peculiar minion, I began to alter his form more, making his vocal cords capable of speaking, though very, very badly. I made him larger, more keen, and more precise; he now possessed the size of a vulture, the speed of a falcon, and the eyes of an eagle. His feathers were now pitch black yet seemed to shine with brilliant luster in the light, and his eyes sparkled with intelligence. He was now what I considered a peak avian predator.

I provide him with both darkness and air mana; the darkness mana would serve to cover the crow in an undetectable shroud. In theory, he could circle a human settlement for days and remain unseen. The air mana would serve two purposes one, to increase his aerial maneuverability, and two, to make him as quiet as a feather yet, at a moment's notice, louder than a bullet. Teaching the young corvid the art of subjugation was a harrowing endeavor; it kept battering me with questions only a child would ask, but I suppose it is a child at heart. A week of rigorous tutelage on how to use its mana to exact dominance among other creatures taught the young corvid how to subjugate creatures. Now I would send it into the outside world for its first mission. A simple fetch quest.