Yosk had respawned just in time to join Elza and Rick in observing their eggs hatching.

Rick was briefly distracted by the door to the first-floor opening. Jimmy had come back.

“Hey, Rick!” he said cheerfully.

“Shh. They’re about to hatch. If you hurry, you can see it for yourself.”

Jimmy’s smile faltered, but he nodded and began a light jog toward the lizardfolk. Rick turned his attention back to the eggs.

Yosk and Elza watched the twelve now-wiggling eggs with bated breath.

Tiny lizardfolk heads started breaking through the shells. The babies were the size of coke cans — a far cry away from Yosk’s seven-foot frame. One of the lizard babies was larger than the rest by a small, yet noticeable, margin. Its eyes were glued shut by the sticky substance within the egg, and it floundered around with its little arms. The baby lizard’s hands found a piece of broken eggshell and brought it up to its mouth. Tiny razor-sharp teeth bit into it. It quickly devoured the small piece and began doing the same to the rest of the shell.

Yosk squealed in delight, “Do we wipe off their eyes so they can see us?”

“Don’t touch them with your filthy hands,” Elza hissed.

Jimmy made it to the house, unscathed by the traps. His immunity allowed him to pass through. The lizardfolk didn’t even look at him but acknowledged his presence.

“Aren’t they cute, Attendant?” Elza asked.

“Very. Is there anything I can do to help?” Jimmy asked.

“No, just give them space,” Elza said gently.

For the next few minutes, they watched as the lizardfolk babies devoured their shells. Once they were done, the babies just fell over, fast asleep.

Well, that was a bit different than the wolves, Rick thought.

–ALERT–

Twelve Dungeon Born Lizardfolk Added to Registry

Inherited Abilities:

* Construction - These offspring will have a natural affinity toward classes under the construction tree.

* Poison Resistance - Poison will either be rejected or absorbed with varying results.

Classes Undetermined.

“Interesting. All of this was predetermined by the System when the Ceaseless Wolves were born,” Rick said. “Jimmy, do you have any idea why they weren’t provided with a class?”

Jimmy looked startled at the question, “Let me check.” His eyes glazed over.

Rick was slightly annoyed at his friend. Had he not done anything to expand his knowledge of dungeons? He took a deep breath, reminding himself that Jimmy had a lot on his plate. Still, there had been a distance between him and his friend.

“It was a special boon given to the wolves for being the first dungeon-born minions. Evolutions like that are still possible, but it’s more random,” Jimmy explained.

“I see. Do you know when they might get classes?” Rick asked, pleased that Jimmy had some insight.

“Not necessarily, but they have more freedom. They can choose their classes eventually. It’s common for them to work towards a goal given to them by a dungeon.”

Rick noticed Yosk and Elza appearing a bit annoyed at the conversation and switched to speaking with Jimmy telepathically, “Damn, but they’re just newborns. Will they grow as rapidly as the wolves?”

Thankfully, Jimmy got the cue and shook his head, “No. Minions will always grow more rapidly than what we’re used to. And they don’t necessarily need food or anything. The lizardfolk children should take a few months to be fully grown.”

“Any ideas on what goals I should give them? I’ve never had to deal with kids before. Well, except you.”

Jimmy chuckled, earning a death glare from Elza, “The possibilities are endless. Some of these little guys could be floor bosses if they’re pushed in the right direction. They could also be worthless sacks if not.”

Rick groaned, “I don’t know. As cute as they are, I still don’t have time to raise them all individually.”

Jimmy raised an eyebrow, “Their parents seem eager. Why not just let them handle it? You could provide guidance on what direction you’d like them to take.”

Stolen story; please report.

The thought was certainly appealing. Why get in the way of their actual parents? “Not a bad idea. Yosk can train some to build and they’ll have their own little village. Elza can train some to make the floor a death trap. Or, they can figure out what they want,” Rick mused to Jimmy.

“True. There is one thing that you should know, in case it comes up in the future,” Jimmy looked a little sheepish.

“What’s that?”

“Minions don’t have the same genetics as we do, right? They’re made up with more System assistance than we are. Lizardfolk are prolific.”

“Oh, Christ. I didn’t even think about that. That seems wrong,” Rick said.

“Yeah, to us. But not to other dungeons throughout the multiverse. Entire civilizations begin this way elsewhere, albeit with different rules than we’re used to.”

Rick could see Jimmy’s confidence returning. Happy to shed some light on dungeon lore. “Okay, I’ll try not to think about it. If it’s too weird, I’ll separate them or buy some different lizardfolk minions.”

Jimmy chuckled again, “I also wanted to check in on you, Rick. When you absorbed Marv’s men, did that curse shit go into your directory? Or did your minions keep it after respawning?”

Rick quickly checked his registry. The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. “No. I don’t see anything,” he said, drawing out the words while he checked the registry.

Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief, “What about the minions that got killed by it?”

Quickly probing Finn and Yosk, Rick didn’t expect to find anything. He was more concerned with getting rid of the curse within Dane. At first glance, they seemed as good as new. Just to be thorough, Rick probed them deeper. He found the pinprick of a black dot within Finn first. “What the fuck,” he whispered aloud this time.

“What is it?” Jimmy asked telepathically.

“There’s something in Finn. I haven’t found anything in Yosk yet,” Rick said, focusing on the tiny black dot that traveled through Finn’s body.

“Don’t absorb it,” Jimmy blurted, his eyes glazed over once again. “Curses have been known to infect dungeon cores. We don’t know much about this curse, so let’s tread carefully.”

“God damnit. Just what I need. How do we get rid of it?”

Jimmy massaged the bridge of his nose in thought, “I’ll ask the prick. Oh, if you weren’t aware, Marv is Gus’ brother.”

The dungeon rumbled briefly as Rick raged. “Did you know this before he entered?” Rick spoke softly, not bothering with telepathy anymore.

Jimmy shook his head, “No, of course not. I don’t think Gus even knew he was here until the broadcast.”

“Do whatever it takes to figure out how to get rid of this and bar that prick from entering,” Rick seethed.

“You got it, man. I still have some credits left. I’ll buy every book I can afford regarding dungeons and curses too.”

Rick was in a bad mood and snapped at his friend, “Why hasn’t that already been done? Also, I thought we were loaded. What have you been doing with your money?”

Jimmy raised his hands in a defensive motion, “Look, I know I haven’t been the best Dungeon Attendant and I’m going to do my best to change that. As far as Credits go, we’ll be okay. I just bought a couple of things for you before coming in. Would you like to see?”

Still enraged, Rick attempted to calm himself. “Sure. What is it?”

“You can take ‘em or leave ‘em. I just thought that your second floor might need some pizzazz. The first part is this plant,” Jimmy explained how the Creeping Talamalo would glow a deep purple, adding some light while not taking away from the glow of the chests. “Most importantly, it will be an Energy source.”

“That does sound pretty cool. I already have these clovers for an Energy source, but they aren’t very reliable. Thanks, Jim.”

His friend’s eyes twinkled. “I thought of that. That’s why I also bought this crystal. It’ll boost the growth of any plants in the area. You’ll have to test it out for yourself to see how effective it is,” he said holding up the Flora Boost crystal for Rick. “I actually bought two in case you could absorb it and recreate it. That way, we wouldn’t need to buy more every time they run out of juice.”

“This is great, Jim. I’m going to absorb the extra crystal and see if it works.”

Jimmy placed it on the ground and Rick promptly absorbed it. Rick could taste the magic inside. It reminded him of drinking some sort of herbal tea. Not the nasty stuff that people tried to shove down your throat when you were sick, but the stuff made fresh from a garden.

The entry in his registry appeared nearly as complex as Gus’ DNA. His mind swirled with a green energy that brought a peaceful emotion with it. The crystal itself was just an intricate container for the magic within. It was porous on a microscopic level which allowed the magic to slowly drip out of it.

“I think I can produce another one. Give me a moment while I try.”

“Good shit! Can you toss me a beer before? I’ll head to the second floor and watch the light show.”

Rick chuckled and produced a six-pack of an amber ale. This will also be good practice for recreating DNA. The calming sensation the nature magic had given Rick allowed him to see the patterns of the mana signature more easily. Unlike producing a simple six-pack of beer, the mana required his full attention. Weaving the mana into strings at first, he began to loop them into a tight ball, squeezing it harder and harder, condensing it into a bright green light that would fit inside the crystal.

There was an odd sensation in the corner of his mind, almost like an Alert, but not the same. He didn’t have time to check it right now. He was so close to completing it.

The core of the crystal was mostly complete, but he wanted to tighten it up further. This must be how yoga enthusiasts feel when they’ve reached enlightenment, Rick thought as the calming energy washed over him. Except for that nagging notification that he wished would go away.

“Almost d—”

Energy Level: 0