------------- Dungeon Frog Room -------------

It didn't take him long to make his way into the Storage room. 'Where are you, termites? I know I found at least one.' He looked around, not seeing it right away. 'Zombie! Come here and help me find the termites!'

The animated dead came from the cave mouth, dripping with fresh mud. It walked over to the other side of the room than the human-shaped self-identity was at, though to be fair it was the zombie that moved the resource itself. It held the termite in between its fingers, and raised its arm up to be as close to its commander's face as it could.

'Uh, thanks. Research!', he yelled as he touched the stasis-locked bug, causing it to disappear. 'Actually, give me queue confirmations from now on, will you, system? That's what I'm calling you now. You're The System.'

There was no response.

'Bored.' He walked around, looking at the massive number of things he still had to research. One thing stood out to him, and it was of some interest before when he first saw it, but he was busy running and hadn't thought about it again. Not until now. He inspected it closer. The rock he had found and researched was black-and-white, but with some tan blotches too. Most likely granite. This rock though, looked more like a broken piece of cinderblock. It even had a flat side and uniform gray.

'I wanna know what you are. So, research!' He ignored the motionless zombie standing nearby and touched the broken piece of what he just identified.

[Cannibal Resource: Mana Stone added to research queue.]

'Wait! What the shit! Cannibal? W-...' He was at a loss for words due to how many emotions were running through what was left of his mind.

------------- Road between Mountainthrone and Plainsheart -------------

The wagon creaked as it rolled along the dry dirt, hardened by constant travel. The lesser noble sat on top of his bedroll, trying to find at least some cushioning. "How long until we get there?", he asked the woman sitting next to him.

"A few days", she replied with exhaustion. "Learn to meditate and the time will appear to go by much faster."

"I wish it was that easy." The lesser noble didn't know how to meditate, so instead he just focused on the jiggling of the gem shards dangling from the woman's staff. The other two sitting with them were silent, but appeared busy.

The other woman was flipping through a book, but the lesser noble had no idea what was written on any of the pages. Such a thing wasn't for him to know. The man sitting across from him looked to be sleeping, but it wasn't believable. At least he kept his axe's handle from falling over and hitting someone.

------------- Dungeon Storage Room -------------

'I should probably just research this shit already to get the room emptied faster', he thought to himself. As per usual, the most important thing was left ignored. Instead, he touched the "Wooden Floor", followed by the "Store Counter" and "Abandoned Campfire".

He looked around again, sighed, and took a deep breath. 'It's been awhile since I've been able to take a breath that- oh damn it right!' He ran into the newest Termite Room, and breathed out all over the place, imagining the place to be filled with piles of haphazardly piled broken boards and wood shards. It didn't fill as much as he had intended, but there was at least enough to show a clear but winding pathway between the debris piles.

------------- Bogsreach Exterminators Outpost -------------

"Does everyone have everything?", Sylde, or Captain Sylde, asked the group.

"Yeah, I even brought some sleep with me. We needed that, right?", Lawg asked while smirking at the Captain.

"No, not necessary. Agree?"

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Yeah, seeing what we've been guarding is more interesting. I'll catch up on rest later."

"That's the spirit!"

Captain Sylde, Lawg, and Pale set out, meeting Caelum and Branch upon getting to the unnamed dungeon's entrance. "Everyone remember what we saw last time? Don't fail to notice any changes."

With orders given, the five exterminators filed into the dungeon, one after the other.

------------- Dungeon Cave Mouth -------------

'That feeling again! Seriously, what is wrong with you people? I even tried to make you all realize to stay outside!' He went into the room he could feel the invaders in, and the thwomp moved accordingly before crunching back down again.

"Did you see that!?", Pale asked whoever would answer as he stared at the thwomp that angrily stared at him.

He didn't know what the gelfling screamed, but it was obvious he was yelping in regards to the thwomp. 'Yeah, I told it to get out of the way if I go through the door! I don't want to see if I can walk through a thwomp.'

"Did you see any movement behind it like last time?", Captain Sylde asked, just as surprised at the sound.

"No. Nothing moved except the giant flying rock monster."

The dungeon couldn't understand what they were saying, even though he was actually listening this time. 'Are you surprised the thwomp can move? You've seen it do that before. I know I recognize you. Anyway they hover. Sometimes.'

"We're going to have to give a name to that new monster at some point.", Branch pointed out. "When are the inspectors getting here?"

"Who knows if they're coming at all. You know how dangerous the roads can be between here and there."

He swore he recognized a word in there somewhere, but the rest of the words didn't mean anything. 'Danger? Yeah, it is dangerous! It's a monster!'

"I don't know about that. There have been enough new exterminator recruits over the last few years", Caelum argued.

'If you people are going to keep bothering me, I'm going to need more monsters.'

Sylde and Lawg nodded, but only Lawg spoke up. "Not much choice. Anyway I don't see anything here anymore. It's just a cave mouth."

'What are you looking for? It's not a Storage Room anymore. Actually wasn't I going to make an alchemy room? This is the Alchemy Room now. Also the Forge Room because screw it.'

"Anyone else find anything? Anything at all?"

'Seriously, what are you guys looking for? I didn't need two Storage Rooms so everything is in the other room now. There wouldn't be anything here.'

The lot of them met back up in the middle of the room, and shared some glances, with what little sunlight came in from outside making torches the torches they carried unnecessary, which is possibly why they remained unlit.

The dungeon stood among them, standing behind two of them, which it towered over. 'You guys really are small. I feel like I'd squish you if I didn't pay attention to where I was walking.'

"Alright, then it looks like the dungeon is closed-open. Exterminators can come in, but no one else. Not until the inspector approves it." Sylde didn't look pleased, but he said what he said previously, and the marker was met.

The party went to the thwomp, knowing there was a pathway or a room or something beyond it.

'Look, even the plumber brothers couldn't find a way to hurt these guys. I doubt you have any cannons. Plus, even if you did, I'd steal it from you before you could use it!'

"How do we get past this thing, oh Captain?"

"Knock it off, Branch. Anyone have any ideas?"

"Didn't Melisande give it something? Maybe that's what we have to do, too."

"Spoken like a true merchant. Bribe our way in."

"Well, it isn't like there are torches in here. Don't dungeons usually have them by now?"

Sylde looked at Lawg. "They do, but this one is growing strangely."

"Probably Leldro's fault."

Pale looked at Lawg, feeling like he should have been surprised at the man's comment, but he wasn't.

"Who wants to pay it?", Captain Sylde asked the group.

There were no volunteers.

"Caelum, you're paying it. The price was even set. Let's see if it accepts."

The merchant exterminator rolled his eyes, but reached down, and placed his torch on the ground.

The dungeon was standing behind the group, watching them in at least mild fascination to see what they would do. After he saw the torch be put on the ground, he thought about claiming it as a tribute of sorts, and ultimately accepted. He started walking towards the unlit torch to tag it, passing through the little man that put it down.

"Did anyone else just feel that?", Caelum asked.

"Feel what?", his captain asked.

"A cold breeze that sent shivers up my spine."

"No... look!" Captain Sylde pointed at the nearby thwomp that was now lifting itself up in the air, allowing access to the Storage Room.

'Thanks for this, I guess. I already have a torch but this one is in obviously better condition. I might even put it up for you guys. Where's that "Rusted Sconce" I found?' The dungeon was still standing close enough to the thwomp, and the thwomp, as instructed, stayed out of the dungeon's way. The fact that the men were entering the dungeon wasn't something it had been given instructions on.

Caelum went to pick up his torch, but watched as it disappeared as his fingers nearly came in contact with it. "It accepted the price, boss!"

Captain Sylde had never actually been in a dungeon before, and despite his new station, he only really had seniority and additional reports to comb through. Now though, he felt himself being tested. "Everyone, one at a time, but get into that other room. Once you're in, get out of the way for the next man, and draw your weapons. Once we're all in, light your torches!"

Caelum kept his mouth shut.