Ch.50 Deprived

After such a long time with no invaders, Malpetios was going crazy. Initially, he was happily modifying his Dungeon, putting an emphasis on doors. The rules prohibited using the (Dungeon Domain) enchantment on doors, as well as anything blocking the path to the core room.

So he created a multilayered, crisscrossing masterpiece. Each one of the interlocking door pieces was enchanted to overcapacity, nearly breaking into its elements. Cases such as having someone restrain the boss while they chipped at the doors were now impossible.

With so many different elements layered together, it would take hours if not days. It got to the point he was lost in what to do next, having already done everything he could think of. Although he tried to make more rooms, the System was quick to block him, telling him to gather Pure Mana.

As for how much I needed, the bastard wouldn't say. He started to play around with boss fusion, getting used to the double vision he got whenever both he and his Sidekick occupied the same body. It was then that he noticed some items tangled up between the main vine clusters.

It was pieces of the Knights gear! Malpetios tried to absorb them to no avail, the items ignored his will. He grabbed the wing sword fragment and the two black cube pieces, bringing them next to him. He tried to add them to his inventory but it didn't work.

He gave up after a while, asking the System for help. To his surprise, The System remained mute, not saying a thing. Unconvinced, Malpetios spent a whole day trying everything he could think of, with nothing to show for it. He even tried to flood the blade with Holy Mana but it just wouldn't absorb any of it.

By the third day, Malpetios started to feel anxious, with slight headaches, which surprised him since he no longer had a fleshy body. It didn't help that Q'ill was still asleep. He started to talk about random things he made around the dungeon to her sleeping form.

On the fourth day, he started to feel dizzy, his headaches growing in intensity. The dungeon ran automatically in the background, he barely noticed his instincts managing it. The only thing that made him feel better was staring at Q'ill, hoping she'd wake up.

Day five was hell, the monotony of the dungeon had him wanting something new. Even though he constantly changed its appearance, it felt no better than changing clothes. It got to a point he made things that would actively hurt him, like the dungeon equivalent of getting piercings.

He even tried talking to his Sidekick, but it would just agree or disagree with whatever I did, not having an opinion of its own. It felt like talking to the mirror. He found comfort in playing with the dark puppy, even naming it after his dog, Kira.

But it didn't last, the creatures of my Dungeon gave me the feeling that I was talking to myself. It honestly felt like he was having a conversation with his arms or legs. I started to curse and scream out loud, asking where were those adventures from books and novels? Aren't I a super rare and valuable Dungeon? WHY IS NO ONE SHOWING UP!!!

He even started to haggle with the System about manastones again. The System had a long laundry list of restrictions, everything from how much mana a certain rank could have, to only allowing Dungeon Cores to fuse with boss-type monsters. I managed to get it to agree on having mana shields with double the target's health, basically becoming a second health bar.

I showed it how bosses work on games, focusing on those who were broken. The System was quick to point out problems and outright unfairness, so making an overtuned boss so I have the time to grow was quickly shut down. Malpetios knew he was asking for too much, the System was adamant in making things fair, but he was grasping at straws here.

The attitude the World's Will has towards its creatures is similar to natural selection, or survival of the fittest. It has no preference and supports them all equally. It wasn't until now, when he was so hungry for stimulus, that he noticed the shift of direction for the Dungeons.

He had revisited the safety patterns and mental alignment inherent memories this past few days out of boredom. The many types of 'Fallen Ones' were the spark that made the World's Will change its attitude. It was forced to restrain certain actions or risk the balance breaking apart. All of its decisions are recorded here, showing its reasons and thought process.

Many paths Dungeons had taken were cut off, some were understandable, like the one that basically copied the matrix. The Dungeon would capture anything that can absorb and purify mana, turning into [Crystallized Mana] factories. Although incredibly efficient, they were destroyed the second they were found.

While others were destroyed by the World's Will due to necessity. Some Dungeons basically made themselves slaves to the Sapient races, it did everything they wanted. At first, this seemed to work, however, a creature's greed is endless.

Whoever controlled the dungeon eventually fell to his or her desires. Out of all of them, two stood out the most, Tyrant Lumpest and Lady of the Wild. Lumpest was the iconic 'bad guy' in movies, a bastard who wanted any women or shiny thing he fancy, killing whatever stood in his way. And of course, he was Xenophobic, because of course he was...

He was the reason why the A'om continent was almost completely ruled by humans, as well as their attitudes to other races. The guy's biggest body count wasn't even them, but his own people, mainly males. To make a long story short, he planted a lot of seeds into any pasture that was 'untouched' by lesser males.

As for Lady of the Wild, her story can be said to be a sad one. She used the Dungeon to save much of the wildlife in danger of extinction, encouraging them to grow and evolve. In this case, a Dungeons efficiency became her downfall. With no need to make their own monsters and just raise the cubs, they became overpopulated quickly, forcing them to fight for the right to stay and mate.

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Eventually, even those who got kicked out of the Dungeon were several times more fit and adept at fighting than a wild beast. The Dungeon's ideal environment gave them both nourishment and treated their wounds. Lady was overjoyed, seeing it as her children finally returning to the outside world. However, the cities and towns that got overwhelmed by large, muscular, and fierce extinct monsters were not happy.

In the end, her Dungeon was flattened by four Arch-mages and five Grandmaster Paladins. Even in death, she refused to apologize, saying that her children have the right to grow and survive as any of you!

After all of that, the World's Will added rules preventing such cases from ever happening again. As for why it bothered, it was, of course, Mana. Many Dungeons were destroyed after both cases, branding them as the source of the problem. After putting all the pieces together, Malpetios found a benefit under all those chains placed on Dungeons.

The World's Will would always take the Dungeon's perspective into account first, everyone else's second. Not only that but it was always available, even if that availability came mostly from fusing a part of itself to the Dungeons. Out of all the creatures created by this world, we the Dungeon Cores were closest to it.

It was probably for that reason that the System found it necessary to warn Malpetios.

[Warning! The Host's mental state is deteriorating. Similar cases have been found. It is recommended for the Host to create items of interest. Please take note of the following. Increase monster count. Increase rare earth deposits. Hide [Crystallized Mana] around unpopular areas....]

One of the things it recommended was humanoid slimes with female features. Malpetios stared blankly for a second before bursting into laughter. The System's serious and formal voice only made it funnier. He would have probably hurt his lungs if he still had a body. The moment of joy took a weight off his mind, finally allowing him to calm down.

He noticed his field of vision had little black spots he hadn't noticed before. They were in the corners of his vision, some fading away probably due to my outburst. Malpetios felt cold sweat, how long were those there?! Making a ball of water appear, he took a look at his reflection.

His Core was covered in large and small black dots. He quickly dives inside his Mindscape, his thoughts being that he missed some wills. What he saw inside, however, was a lot scarier. His forest was wilting, many areas looking dry and cracked. Seeing this, something clicked in his head. The Mindscape is not only a reflection of how I see the world but also a window into my mental state.

Thinking back on how anxious and desperate he was for something new, was he suffering from stimulation isolation? But why? I can literally change my Dungeon as I like and talk to... He then thought back on how he saw everything inside his Dungeon as a part of him. The Sidekick was literally a piece of his soul, while he knew the monsters inside out. They were more like dolls or sock puppets I can control, their actions holding no mystery.

It was as if I wanted to read a book written by me, and somehow trick my mind that I didn't know the ending. With his condition no longer a mystery, he started to calm down. The forest around him got a bit livelier, but this could only be considered a bandaid. He now understood the weird things the System suggested, they were all things adventures would want.

But this wouldn't work for him at this moment. After such a long time no one has shown up, this meant I was being intentionally ignored if not sealed. Ugh, it's definitely the church! But what about the Fairy Army? Q'ill said I should be put under the Fairy Treaties protection after surviving the first invasion. Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that this has something to do with The Jewel's.

Malpetios just stood there, staring at the horizon. His Mindscape was a peaceful and serene place, even in its deteriorating state. Looking around, his eyes stop on Muscles cave. THAT'S RIGHT! HE IS STILL HERE!! Malpetios runs inside next to Muscles, looking at him like a long-lost brother.

Muscles, in turn, looks at Malpetios like a piece of meat. What happened next can only be considered as an overactive puppy playing with a ball. Malpetios didn't even notice the pressure around Muscles, if anything it was fun and stimulating! While he poked or kicked the prismatic barrier around, Muscles would get angry or attack him.

After thoroughly bullying Muscles to his heart's content, he thinks about what to do next. His forest had improved further, but he was eventually going to grow bored with Muscles. Malpetios started to grow annoyed, all his options seem to lead nowhere. He needed to talk with someone he can bounce ideas off, and Q'ill seemed to have exhausted herself to a point she needs weeks of rest.

Thankfully, as a magical creature, she wouldn't get malnourished, only needing me to supply Mana. Now that he was more mentally stable, he went thru all his memories one by one. He didn't think this would help much, with his brainpower now, he could even remember how many grains of dirt was stuck in the Knight's shoes.

However, persistence pays off, as he noticed something that skipped his mind. During the time he made his Sidekick, a mangled will had been left behind, one who was apparently sapient. Malpetios closes his eyes, appearing in his soul space the next moment. With a quick request, the System unsealed the wills inside him, turning his soul space black.

Now experience, Malpetios walks all over them, not taking long to find his target.

Brian opens his eyes, seeing nothing but darkness. Sleepy, he tried to drag his hand across his face, only to notice it was full of bite marks. He panicked, trying to stand up and check his body. It was then that the darkness around him seemed to have been disturbed, red eyes opening within it. Brian stared at the glowing eyes in fear, as they lightened up his surroundings.

He saw that he was not laying on a bed, but a pile of slowly waking shadowy bodies. Brian shot up from the pile, trying to escape. However, he found that he couldn't find a foothold, floating right into the face of one of them. Its eyes were red as blood, reflecting hatred, pain, and bloodlust. The creature ignored him, as they all suddenly faced one direction, flying towards it the next second.

Brian saw the shadows charging towards a person made of grayish rainbow light, with many black polka dots around its edges. After seeing it, a feeling of familiarity struck him, as it all came back to him. That was the guy that kidnapped him? Brian wanted to cry, wherein the heck is he, is this even Earth!? His kidnapper noticed him, a happy smile appearing on his face.

"Yo! What's your name, I'm Malpetios, who's will are you?! Do you like games? How old are you... Brian was drowning in the things questions, its eagerness making his skin crawl. The fact that it was killing the creatures that looked just like him was not helping. It would swing its hands from left to right, blue waves of liquid would burst forward like blades before turning golden. All the red-eye shadows turned to shreds, their pieces integrating with its body, becoming brighter and larger.

Brian quickly turns away, awkwardly swimming as far as he can from that psychopath. Sadly for him, Malpetios killed his way next to him, grabbing and tossing him inside his Mindscape. Brian suddenly found himself in the middle of a dream-like forest, one whose beauty was diminished by wilting trees.

Where the heck was he now!?!?