Mavis PoV
At this moment everyone present are gasping for air as they laugh.
Why? Lets go back five minutes ago before it began.
Everyone was looking at me confused.
Dad: 'Dad? Who are you?'
Rey: 'Your father was asleep Mavis. He doesn't know it has been 10 years already.'
Dad: 'WHAT DID YOU SAY~~!!'
To those who could hear him, we simply heard him speak normally. However, to anyone else it looked like a trained rat squealing while putting his hands on both side of his head as if he was going to rip his hair off.
It was also then that dad noticed his body and began looking over himself.
Dad: 'W-w-what happened to me?!'
Mavis: 'The spell you used turns you into a dungeon, dad. It also made you lose your mind. You became a dungeon heart and I just fixed the problems it had. Problem was I can't bring you back as a human but only as a rat, since I only have few creatures inside me.’
Rey: 'After you went crazy, we removed your core and kept you asleep until we finished the spell. We can now make real controlled dungeons.'
Dad: 'So I'm a monster now..'
He was sulking and was looking towards the corner.
The human men who was watching were already chuckling as they watch the spawned rat put on a show. When dad looked back and saw them chuckling he lost it.
Dad: 'YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BASTARDS!!! I'LL KICK YOUR ASSES FOR LAUGHING!'
Though he said that all they heard was.
'SQUEAK SQUEAK GRR SQUEAK SQUEAK'
This caused all of them to break out laughing which is what brought us to the beginning.
At this moment Rey was holding Dad by the scruff of the neck while dad was squirming about.
Dad: 'ARGH! LET ME DOWN RIGHT NOW! DAMN IT, YOU'RE ENJOYING THIS AREN'T YOU, YOU POINTY-EARED OLD BASTARD!?'
Rey: 'Actually yes, I am enjoying this. When do you think I would have the pleasure of irritating an old colleague who I thought was long dead?'
Hearing the last part, the small rat stopped and everyone stopped laughing.
Dad: 'How many people beside me tested the spell?'
Rey: 'Three. One was put to sleep after going on a frenzy after making a second floor without stocking up Magic Power. The next went down after city patrol passed by and took him down two times, draining his energy which caused him to follow after the first. The last is your son who we are in at the moment. We perfected the spell and he became a new kind of dungeon we never saw before.'
As soon as Rey said that, a strange glint appeared in my old man's eye. He was always like this when it had to do with dungeons.
Dad: 'Ho ho~. So my boy has something unique within him. Hehe.. can't wait to see it.'
There it is. His need to dissect a dungeon to its end.
Mavis: 'Lets end it here before I am killed by him. Dad, remember to be careful of the feral rats in the dungeon. They are carnivores and eat rats as well. If you do things right you can grow fast. Aim for the bugs first then try for the smaller rats.'
Dad: 'You expect me to eat bugs and rats?!'
Mavis: 'Well, there is always the dungeon moss.. your choice. I'll be leaving the dungeon open tonight so wild cats and dogs or maybe some wolves could come in.'
He began sulking again. As the guys leave I ask them to clear out the dangerous animals but leave a small number. This would guarantee dad's survival. Curious, I check over his stats. There is a 'Variant' at his race, beside the 'Rat' part. I wondered why but I got my answer moments later.
Help: 'Variants are unique creatures. For a regular animal or monster to be born as a variant, special conditions must be met. This rat has one condition which is having the intact soul of the being it was before.'
Cool, so it was simply because he was himself that it was like that. As I look down his stats I saw his intelligence was over 200. This must be why he was variant. His knowledge clearly gave him an edge.
The MP I used to revive him was definitely worth it if I can get him to grow real strong. He might be able to become the first boss monster I get since he seems to be the only one that I can control.
It seems the monsters in my dungeon can't be completely considered mine. That much was obvious. It was the main reason I asked the others to kill some of them. I gathered nearly 1000 points from all the dead rats and bats.
I then looked at the nests and hives. Focusing on them I received info on them and see something that makes me smile.
Fly HiveLevel1UpgradesSize30 MPIncubation50 MPCore Creation500 MP
I really don't know why I never checked for structure upgrades. If something was built then obviously it can get better.
I leave the bugs alone. I want them to wonder on their own. Instead I aim at the rat nest and bat haven.
I make those nests gain core creation. Shame I couldn't do it for all of them. I don't have enough power. Still, the cleanup the guys did before does help a bit.
All I can do for now is to wait for things to move on its own. Still, with dad now here it will get interesting. It’s funny to see him train himself. He still isn't used to his body but instincts are quickly taking over and he is learning fast.
Dad PoV
ARGH, I hate this! To be born a monster and of all things a rat.. Tch, Rey sure pulled one over on me. At least I'm fast to say the least, though that is only after I learned how to move this infernal body.
Damn rats, hunchback with small stubby claws. If I didn't have so much fat I would have gotten hit severely sometimes.
The bats are a pain in the ass as well but they are easier to deal with than the larger rats. After I got used to moving around on four legs and using these claws and fangs as weapons I hunted the bats. They were quite filling and surprisingly tasty.
I aimed for the small ones just like the rats because I needed to grow. Every so often I ate some bugs. Though gross at the start, they were rather tasty. The moss they ate was also strangely good.
As the dungeon grew darker as night came, Mavis kept his promise. The portal appeared in the first room which I was in and was kept open.
I was rather cautious of what could come in so I hid in the cracks leading to the rats’ nest there.
Eventually nothing came in and I got sleepy, so I fell asleep in the nest.You have gained enough Magic Power to Rank Up. The Dungeon Consciousness Mavis has permitted your Rank Up to Feral Rat (Variant)When I woke up, I found myself larger. My claws were larger and looked more like daggers. My fangs had also grown. My fur got thinner on my body but my head, from my elbows to my paws and from my knees to my feet. My large rat tail was flexible and almost felt like another arm.
(http://mangafox.me/manga/spirit_migration/c002/6.html)
I still moved about on all fours. I wanted to test my strength as I was curious about how strong my tail was. I made it act like a whip on one of the rats in here. It cut it in half like a hot knife through butter.
Mavis: “So how do you like being a rat now?”
Dad: “It’s quite nice.”
Mavis: “Don’t get cocky. You're still a rat. You're at best the size of a small wild cat so watch out. Also, several of them entered while you slept. They are now in a cove made for them in the second room.”
Dad: “I want to test my strength even more now..”
I squeeze my huge body through the small crack. I knew I was clearly larger than normal ones.
Finally out of the tight space I look around the room. In the large room, I can see a few bats hanging upside down at the ceiling. Their red eyes glowing. The cave was much brighter. It made a question of where the light came from so I asked my son.
Mavis: “Where does the light comes from? ..This dungeon is in a different dimension but depending on the spot we are we get hit by regular sunlight and my body absorbs that and releases it inside. I can change how the dungeon acts though so I can turn it off but that costs a lot of MP.”
Nodding I look towards the corridor that was made to the next room. My larger ears were picking up some growling sounds from the next room. Footsteps could be heard walking this way. I started to growl and bare my fangs.
From the path appeared a normal wild cat. It had dark brown fur with some brown and black stripes on its fur. It was about the size of a medium to large sized dog and just a bit bigger than myself.
Like everything in nature, the first to strike wins so I struck. With my developed legs I jumped forwards covering the distance from the middle of the room to the door in two bounds, not giving it time to react. With my right arm I slashed up like doing an uppercut and cut right into the cat's throat.
It was sent crashing into the wall. I finished it off by stabbing it in the head.
Mavis: “I guess feral is a proper name for the race for sure.’
Dad: “Shut it. I’m still pissed at being a rat.”
Mavis: “Just make sure some of the cats survive. If you give them half dead rats and fatten them up, we can capture them faster and they will mutate quicker. If you're so hungry for fighting then wait for them to turn big then.”
Dad: “Heh, I will still kill these bastards.”
Mavis: “Enjoy your meal before it gets absorbed. Oh, seems like the guys are here. Join them so you can reach the deeper rooms. We are planning something to grow faster soon.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
I simply shrug it off and start eating the cat right now and there. After a while, it got absorbed. I had eaten a good bit of it though. It had a strong taste. I walked into the next room and find three cats in front of the cove. As soon as they spot me, they start growling to get me away. I had eaten my fill and I don’t think I can take so many by myself.
I sniffed the air to see what else was nearby.
My son had made the dungeon relatively small. Maybe five to ten blocks between each room. It was pathetically small and didn't allow for the rapidly expanding population of monsters to grow much.
If he made at least 12 rooms with around 20-35 winding corridors between each room he could greatly expand the dungeon, but I guess limited MP didn't allow us that luxury.
After the cats saw I was just looking around they calmed down but were still on guard while I was in the room. They are smart animals and could see I was different from the others. I could clearly smell blood in the room and looking about I found the spots it was originating from. With a lick on the ground I knew it was a feral rat blood.
I was able to take a weak smaller one out when I was small before. I had taken a bat down when the bastard came in for the steal. I jumped away and let him start eating before I jumped on his back and started biting and clawing away. Then I filled myself with him. It’s most likely the reason I grew up so quickly to this point.
Suddenly an annoying but familiar series of scents hit my nose and I turned back towards the entrance of the room.
Standing there were Rey and the others.
They had complex expressions while looking at me.
Dad: “Is there something you want to say Rey?”
Rey: “By the Gods, it is you Phil!”
??? 1: “What! That’s Phil?! He was a regular rat yesterday!”
Phil: “I'm quite good at hunting. So, what brings you here?”
Rey: “We came to talk with Mavis about a plan to make this dungeon grow. With its current power it can take down a few greedy fucks.”
I nod acknowledging that fact. The creatures in here are rapidly growing. Some of them even were hard to find back outside, since they only appear in areas of dense magic power.
I took a look at the group and notice that it was all elves. I was wondering why but Rey explained since he noticed I was curious.
I look back at the growling wild cats and tell the others we should move before we have to kill the few wild cats in the dungeon.
We move through the rooms checking each one out.
Room two and three have wild cats. Room 4 has the feral rats who were low in number now and were simply guarding their nest. Room five had taken us by surprise as wild dogs and mongrels live inside.
The difference between mongrels and wild dogs are the fact that wild dogs are a mix of thrown away city mutts who bred with forest wolves and mongrels were a mishmash of city dogs.
They outright attacked us. The guys made sure to teach them their place. With precise aim they killed off the weak mutts leaving about 8 of the 20 wild dogs while out of the 30 mongrels, only 6 survived. They were all whining in the corner fearing the elves.
This would keep any possible rampage of mutts from escalating.
We headed into the last room which had Mavis's dungeon heart inside.
Rey: “Ok Mavis, we are here. Shall we begin?”
Mavis: “Good, so how are the preparations?”
Phil: “Someone mind filling me in on this plan?”
Elf 1: “We are planning on spreading a rumor around Kelion Slums. We want petty thieves thinking this place is a new weak dungeon which holds some good drops.”
Phil: “But won't that endanger those who aren't thieves?”
Mavis: “I can see who is a thief or not. To a human or sentient being I can see their jobs. We will try to help the beggars by giving them a gem or something. Maybe a weapon to fight with, or food.”
Rey: “But real thieves will face the true might of the dungeon’s residents.”
Elf 2: “Sir, do we drop the stuff?”
Rey: “Of course.”
At once the 10 elves following Rey removed their bags. These were magic bags which used magic to carry anything that fits through the mouth.
They produced several pieces of magic equipment. A large pile of good items and another pile of more than thirty goblin corpses and a pile with their trashes.
I look around the piles looking for anything of interest.
Mavis: “You guys were busy..”
Rey: “Not as busy as you will be. These are Rank B magic Items, not only that..”
Rey pulled out his back and opened the lid and walked to a clear area and flipped it.
From inside it, comes out a pile of jewelry and gems as well as a few mana crystals.
I started to drool, not because I wanted to be rich but it was a monster instincts. It’s well known that metal objects gather magic power inside a dungeon. They can normally be found inside monsters who eat it to have a catalyst to gather the magic power.
I walked over eyeing the stuff but didn't randomly jumping in. The others were chuckling.
Rey: “Guess instincts speaks louder for monsters.”
I start moving stuff around and take everything. I ended up eating a few rings with gems, some large gemstones and a single small mana crystal.
Rey: “Ok, we more or less understand your system now. This is a strong layout we built. As of right now, you are too simple to be called a good dungeon.”
Mavis: “Don't rub it in. Still, where did you get all of this stuffs?”
Rey: “Some things are better left unsaid.”
Mavis: “Where?!”
Elf 2: “Morgan Helms.”
I frowned. That man is one of the top crime bosses in Kelion. I could guess by the strength of our group that they could get in and out easily, leaving a path of destruction while doing it.
I can finally understand their plan. They plan to spread a rumor that the group that stole the stuff went here only to find a dungeon too strong for them to deal with. A cruel and efficient way to kill off one of the crime syndicate in the capital.
We need to tread lightly from now on.
Mavis: “I think with all this stuff I might be able to make the improvements and even expand to a second floor.”
Rey: “I would suggest you make a dungeon Lord instead and make sure to hide your heart. Once the city guard catches wind of a dungeon that is killing off the thieves, I'm sure they will send scouts.”
Mavis: “I know, I can hide myself for the most part. Have you guys finished the research on the dungeon skills?”
Rey: “We have been training a bit. When we are here, we do some training with it. We still haven’t gotten anywhere with it though.”
Mavis: “Why don't one or two of you stay inside here? I can make a separate room for you, hidden of course.”
They looked from one to another, wondering what to do. A few younger kids looked excited. Two in particular was a young girl and her twin brother. She had light pink hair and like all elves, a beauty like no other. The long pointy ears make her stand out more than if she was a human. The boy had deep navy blue hair and like his twin was really beautiful. If you put a dress on him, he could very well pass as a female.
They were near Rey, close to the center of the group since they still weren’t that strong.
I notice him looking back at the young ones and making a small smile.
Rey: “Julie, Theo. Do you both want to stay for a while? If I remember correctly, you liked Mavis quite a bit.”
Julie: “EHH! REALLY?!”
Theo: “..What's the catch?”
Rey: “Quite cunning like always. Simple, train here. You two lack fighting experience. You shall train with Phil and grow nicely.”
Mavis: “Heyheyhey.. what are you trying to pull, old man? I was thinking of one of the stronger fighters!”
Rey: “Nonsense. In all of history, the most creative thinking is done by the children. Adults already have a fixed way of thinking, so if they live here they will experience a complete different world from our own. Also, I will not take a no for an answer. That’s final.”
With the verdict done, the kids were made to stay and the others waved good bye as they left leaving through a portal made in that room..
Mavis: “Tsk, that bastard old man. Does he think I will be able to absorb the items with you guys still here?!”
Help: Having sentient creatures live in the dungeon can only happen when the dungeon consciousness and the ones who wish to live here are in accordance. Should you allow it they can be considered residents of the dungeon but with the ability to leave as they please.
Mavis: “..Kids, it seems you can be considered as the residents of the dungeon. I will take you in but it has to be your decision.”
Theo: “Really, THAT IS AWESOME! To be an elf living in a dungeon. Not only that, but being contracted to the spirit of the dungeon as well. So cool!’
Julie: “We will be in your care, Mavis!”
Julie bowed to the small dungeon heart and I could see a fluctuating light coming from the heart.
Mavis: “Um.. yeah, I’ll be in your care as well.”
The elves, Julie and Theo Markwood have been accepted by the Dungeon master as new residence of the dungeon. All those who are one of the collective conscience should regard them as one of your own as well and not attack.
Because they are elves with contract with the dungeon master directly they are to be regarded as high ranking individuals within the hierarchy of power and should be protected if under attack by invaders.
Phil: Well, that’s new.. never heard of this before. Guess there is more to this Dungeon Type that Mavis is than we thought.
Moments later, all the piles of items and bodies began glowing before vanishing into the air after being absorbed into the dungeon.
Mavis: “Well, now this is nice.. Nearly twenty thousand MP.. Guys! Get ready for some remodeling.. It's going to be big for sure.