The rock shifted as I dug through it on the third level. I had to keep myself busy after all I could get from my daughter was the vague sense of something wrong, and I might have overreacted by sending a large amount of mana out. Yet, I still didn't have solid contact with her anymore and it caused me no end of frustration. I had made her as a way of seeing the world outside of myself, a medium to break away from this loneliness and confinement. Yet, that "Something" had changed that, and limited me from watching through my daughter's eyes, I was sure of it. Not only that, but I had noticed more issues with my memories and what was present in my Core matrix. While the patterns of life were diverse and complex, using my senses I could understand all various forms they came in. At least on a simple level, and the ones in me had undergone some shifts. If I hadn't been studying my own patterns for months, and comparing it to the beastkin man or Pyra. It's possible I wouldn't have noticed the changes, because they were very very subtle; a spiral where there was once a square, a few random lines perpendicular to a single straight one, a strange matrix that seemed to shift up and down.

My attention was currently split among several places in the dungeon. With my main focus being on the third through fifth floors, because, apparently, by breaking through the second floor limits I got almost 500 feet of depth. And, sadly only depth, my domain above ground only increased a slight bit, even with the [Thoughtful] title. Which is where another part of my attention was focused. These titles and even a "list" of skills and abilities were present in my [Status].

Skill List

Name: Cost: Description Earth Mastery Low Mana You have enough control of the Earth element to use and create simple effects using only Will and Intent. These effects cannot leave the Domain. Mana Manipulation Variable Mana You have the ability to direct and control free mana in all it's forms, though no effect can leave the domain. Greater Creation Variable Mana You can create animate and inanimate things using mana, Will, and Intent. Exceptional creations can leave the Domain, but you also have less control or effect on their natures. Domain Expansion Low Mana (Ongoing) For a Low drain on your mana, or mana regeneration if it's high enough, you can grind away at the layers of earth that limit your Domain size over time. Any part of your Domain not underground will take a 60% penalty to size. World Shaping Variable Mana Using mana and your Will you can shape the very nature of the world within your Domain. Your Will is able to enforce any structure giving it proper support. Domain Edicts Variable Mana Using mana, Will, and Intent, you can create "Rules" that the dungeon or it's invaders will have to follow. These are limited by imagination and mana control.

I had quickly noted the vague wording didn't mean that it was interpreting, but instead misleading me into thinking they were being clear. For example the skill [Domain Expansion] while it did let me slowly expand the Domain, instead of having to 'break though' some limit. It also was actively limiting my ability to affect the above ground sections, though it was clear. However, [World Shaping] was the opposite of this. It seems clear but actually it was a trap, one I hoped other Dungeons had seen. Since it gave support if you took your Will out of a section it would simply collapse, unless you had built the structure properly and from natural materials. It was relatively easy to remove Will, or simply to lapse your attention to a part of the dungeon. Meaning that Dungeons would have to divide their attention all the time to maintain larger and larger floors. I had made sure to experiment with shapes and designs when I was building my first two floors, so all my work was self-supporting. Giving me more mental energy to put towards thoughts like these, and the experiments I was conducting.

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Every time I got close to my Experiment Room, my Instincts nearly blacked me out. Like I was forbidden to entering there, and I had a feeling it was due to the "Something" that changed me. In fact I had been getting close to understanding the Instincts themselves. A series of life patterns had been changed the most drastically in my meditation of my core, and when I had tried to touch them the Instincts had knocked me out. So I was quite sure they are less a natural things as a chain to imprison the mind. I did need more information on magic, and so I was waiting for the timer to be done.

??? Creation 05 Days / 08 Hours / 20 Minutes

I had a feeling it would be the second child I was working on. Though I had no illusions that the "Something" had altered what I had intended. in the meantime I had created a new variant on the ants in my dungeon.

Name Race Description

Duskwalker Ant Elemental The Shadow variant of the Formica Elementum. These creatures are a collective hivemind and are able to turn completely invisible while in shadows.

I had found that the Queens of the 'Formica Elementum" were a grade higher than their children, and could be considered "exceptional creations". Which means they, and by proxy, their offspring could leave the domain. I had set up the Queens in the maze of the first floor, but the Duskwalker Queen in the castle on the surface. It had been interesting to talk to them all since they were similar to how Pyra was when she was born, but far more simple in thought. They were though, and importantly, loyal to their home and me as their "Mother". So, I was able to get the Duskwalkers out into the forest to hunt for new animals to bring in, or things like books and coins. I also found I could watch through the eyes and senses of any creature I made so long as they were under [Greater Elemental]. While I couldn't control the Duskwalker ants, I could see through their eyes and ask the Queen to grab certain things that caught my attention. This is where a lot of my attention was, even if the main focus was elsewhere. It helped my anxiety to be able to look out into the bright world.

Now I was working on the next few floors by expanding on the story I partially told on the second floor. To this I created a central area where people would pass down into from the floor above. In the story the young girl found a spiral stair leading deep into the ground and a series of magical lands. So, I made a pillar connecting to the second floor exit that had spiral steps leading down to a cavern of glossy, black stone. I even had water running through the pillar and it would flow off some of the larger steps, I had to make them various shaped for fun, creating waterfalls that would be caught by shorter pillars with bowls on top. These would direct the water to flow through channels to pools spaced around the large cavern. Then I created some glowing grasses and mosses to cover the majority of the floor in various pools of colored light. With the general shape looking like a sun and clouds if you looked down from the pillar stairs.

Next, I created the five magical kingdoms in larger caverns on the fourth floor, by creating a set of five tunnels leading from the central area. Each was modeled after the primary forms of magic; Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, and Light/Shadow. I planned on making creatures for each kingdom, and then doing a hive species or something for the boss of each. In the story the young girl traveled to each kingdom and was given a blessing and a mission; to destroy the opposing kingdom. Yet, the girl was clever and a bit greedy so she took the blessings of them all and made a deal with a mighty dragon. Together they created peace between all the kingdoms, and found a way to prevent war from happening again. It was then that she returned home, to find most of her family long dead from the passing of ages while she had barely aged. When they realized who she was, they welcomed her home to live happily ever after. My fifth floor was going to be a dragon, which was another reason to have more creatures brought in. I needed to find out how to make one, or build the blueprint from scratch.

In the meantime I continued to dig. Trying to keep myself busy while I waited, because I was so worried for my Pyra. She was all alone out there now, except for that beastkin man. Which I still didn't like.