We go down through the forest rather fast. I am so hyped up over being with the kids, I do not get distracted by dizziness at all.

Verne seems to have recovered fully as he has no problems running down the slope and jumping over rocks and fallen tree trunks. Two of them are fast, deer fast, and it does not take long for little Oollie and me to fall behind. We get on a little goat trail and soon pass next to what must have served the dwarves as their camping ground. Just a few abandoned wooden crates, a campfire that has not been started in a while and the grass trampled at places where they walked and where they pitched their tents.

Two little Bambis run way faster than we can, dodging trees and undergrowth as if they are professional skiers while I almost crash poor little Oollie against things way tougher than us.

But my adrenalin rush lasts only so long, and soon I start to feel disoriented, and I know Oollie is not feeling any better. So, we stop at the first clearance, seeing finally a fine line of smoke rising above the tree tops in the distance. It must be from the cooking fire of their village as the kids jump happily up from the grass and wave at us goodbye before resuming their happy run.

It takes us forever to go back up. Not only because I suddenly feel very weak, but the upslope is a killer.

It’s pitch dark by the time we get to the opening, and the Dungeon accepts us readily, making us instantly feel very much relieved and relaxed again.

I also get an update

[Update:

Experience: +111

Capturing 2 humanoids: +20

Capturing 4 woveries: +40

Energy Produced: +11

]

Good. At least that is going good. And I’m certainly glad I was not penalized for releasing the kids.

It’s late. Too much stuff has happened today.

I know I need to rest. Need to think clearly. And can’t do it if I’m feeling as if I drove the car for 24 hours straight.

But I know, I cannot rest inside Oollie's body. It just does not feel right.

We pick up a few dry branches outside the dungeon, go down to the Jail, and make a nice little fire.

Then, I set Oollie free. And as soon as I leave his body, I see him sigh deeply and relax. I guess I can’t help but to be a pain in someone’s ass.

He curls down by the fire and I make a note to get some stuff tomorrow so I can make it comfortable there for us. If not a bed and a mattress, at least some grass that could be dried and made into comfortable hay. It would go a long way compared to the hard and cold marble.

Wolves are quiet, lying down, but I know tomorrow I will have to deal with them. But I’m so tired, I can’t even think to come up with any meaningful ideas.

As we sit there by the fire, I feel the sense of the dungeon, stronger than ever before, feel the stones and tunnels inside as if they are my skin, can almost feel it breathing.

I guess that alone answers a lot of questions about bonding, and I know it has already increased even before SAMS gives me an update,

[Update:

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Bonding at 25 percent]

Then, out of nowhere, maybe out of the deepest tunnel of the Dungeon itself comes a horrible, the most sinister thought. It occurred to me, for the first time that day.

What if I kept those kids there? They were already inside a cell. Probably that was expected of me to do. Probably nobody would have even found out about it. I could have done it, and nobody would have known!

But no! The thought makes me nauseated. Disgusted! I will not! Will not do evil. And it’s not just because of them being kids or of my own kids. It’s more than that!

Does not matter what is at stake. I will find a better way. Will not turn to the dark side. Doesn’t matter who knows what, even if nobody I know can ever find out what I am doing here. It’s about what I would know. And I want to be able to live with myself no matter what. No matter for how long.

Lost in my thoughts I do not even notice Oollie closing his big eyes, starting to doze off. I can’t sleep, but then I think of a soft bed, think how tired I was when I drove from coast to coast once. And that numbs me, numbs me good.

I come around in a few hours. The little guy is sleeping, moving uncomfortably around, shivering a bit now and then. The fire is almost all gone and I wish I could put a few logs in the place. But, my power to move things around has not improved. So, I fire up Dungeon’s invisible furnace thinking of a hot day on the Florida beach, and in a matter of seconds, it’s nice and comfortably warm.

I look backward. Three wolves are sleeping as well, but one of them raises its head as I approach to look them over. It gets up and approaches me, sniffing at me. Does not bark. Not even a single growl.

Amazed, I move a few steps to the right and it follows me, suddenly uttering a low squeal. It can see me. How come?

I scratch my invisible head and decide I want to do an experiment with them. See if I can step inside and possess one of them. See what happens.

But, then the wolf twitches back. I'm thinking of calling him over or pursuing him, but why rush it? I guess that can wait. Besides, I need to run over the Dungeon and see that everything is all right.

As I’m going up, I receive my first update for the day.

[Update:

LIC Energy processed: 8 units

Balance: 8 units]

“Can you break it down for me?”

[Energy

Happiness 10

Fear 3]

Their giggles are way more powerful than their fears. I am not going to say it, but I was expecting it all along. Monsters Inc had it right after all. But then, they would not dare put it in a cartoon if it wasn’t true, would they?

But there is a nasty surprise I did not expect.

If my math is right, it just does not add up. Ten plus three can never be eight, no matter what planet you live on.

“What gives, SAMS?” I ask. “Trying to pull a fast one on me this early in the morning?”

[Your Happiness Energy has to be converted at a penalty due to:

1. Dungeon's negative reputation

2. Dungeon Type: Extirpating - Putrefying - Consuming

This Dungeon cannot process positive emotions so effectively. The energy of such emotions is processed at only 50 percent of their true capacity.]

Damn. I did not see that one coming. And I thought I was on a roll, making them giggle and everything. It shows you, some places really do not appreciate having kids around.

“What do I need to do to be able to change the settings, and stop having that penalty? I kind of liked having kids around, laughing, and stuff. Maybe I could even make a circus in here.”

[You can change the settings of a Dungeon starting with Level 5]

Okay, so that’s a goal then. Grow and get bigger. And better! A decent dungeon for a change.

As I’m lost contemplating on that, imagining clowns, dancing bears, ball-juggling elephants, and a petting zoo, I get another update.

[Update:

LIC Energy processed: 1 unit

Balance: 9 units]

That’s funny. Nobody is in agony right now. Not in any kind of extreme emotions. Or is there someone else in here I do not know about? The thought scares the light out of me.

“What got processed?”

[Energy from processing debris

Enough debris inside the area for 5 more units

Estimated time of completion: 5 days]

At first, it does not make sense, but as I go up, I see the clothes that Dwarfs lost have started slowly to decompose. Even the axes and picks, their chisels seemed to have rusted a great deal from yesterday. I was hoping to use those. But how do I stop the metal from being decomposed? And… why are the iron bars in the basement not being decomposed?

That makes me put my thinking hat on instantly. There must be something different between the upper floor from the lower one. The only difference I can think of is the black marble that covers the floor there. But I cannot be a hundred percent sure. All of that has to be tested.

But if it’s true that the Dungeon can process all organic material that is inside its belly, that would make energy production so much easier.

How about wood? Can that be processed as well?

I run to the Core and there I can see that one of the torches that was left on the ground has almost completely decomposed.

Now I understand why everything around the dungeon is all so barren. It got sucked up and decomposed by the dungeon already.

And those long dungeon tunnels, they work as digestion tracks as well.

So, that’s where I’m supposed to live now?

Inside one giant digestive track?

Oh, well, it could be worse.

Besides, maybe I don’t even deserve any better.