Adrian’s dungeon heart pulsed steadily in the heart room, the glow from his circulatory system casting faint red patterns across the fleshy walls. He leaned into the mental link with the Overseer, evaluating the data flow as it efficiently categorized adventurer movements and spawned creatures to reinforce weak zones. Overseer Dronis’s methodical nature had already freed Adrian from the tedious micromanagement of dungeon operations, leaving him with precious time to conduct experiments.

A small quillbug wiggled in Adrian’s mental grasp, its segmented body gleaming under the dim bioluminescent light. “You’re going to make history,” Adrian muttered, his tone almost fond. He nudged the evolution chamber’s pod open, its sac-like structure pulsing as if anticipating its new subject. “Let’s see what happens when I push your venom production past its limits…”

Before he could drop the creature inside, a soft chime resonated through his mind. The Overseer’s calm voice followed. “Dungeon Heart Adrian, an irregularity has been detected on the second floor.”

Adrian sighed, irritated by the interruption. “Define ‘irregularity,’ Dronis.”

“A deceased Wendren overtaken by Corpsecap mushrooms has begun exhibiting behaviors outside standard parameters,” Dronis replied evenly.

“Corpsecap infestation. So what?” Adrian muttered, shifting his focus to the Overseer’s visual feed. The sight of the dead Wendren lumbering forward, its once skeletal form now adorned with glowing blue caps, gave him pause. “Huh. First Wendren corpse to get overtaken. I guess that was bound to—wait.”

He zoomed in, noting how the bioluminescent caps pulsed in unison as if driving the creature’s movements. Its fungal-tendril-covered limbs smashed through underbrush, and the once-graceful Wendren now walked with jerking, unnatural steps. Adrian frowned. “Okay, that’s… not normal.”

The Overseer continued. “The entity has begun attacking creatures in its path, assimilating their biomass into its structure.”

Adrian’s irritation gave way to intrigue as he watched the Corpsecap colony grow. Small animals and lesser monsters fell under its rampage, their remains dragged into the pulsating mass. New fungal growths sprouted almost immediately, spreading across the surface of the Wendren’s corpse and fusing with its expanding frame.

“Fascinating,” Adrian murmured, his irritation forgotten. “It’s not just a corpse; it’s a symbiotic fungal network. Self-replicating. Adaptive.” His core throbbed in excitement. “I wonder if—”

The Overseer interrupted his musings. “The entity is pursuing the adventurer team designated Ulrick’s Group.”

Adrian blinked. “They’re still in the second floor? Well, good luck to them. I’d love to see how this plays out.”

The Corpsecap colony stormed after the group, its form swelling grotesquely with each new addition. Despite his curiosity, Adrian’s awe shifted to concern as it approached the first floor entrance. “Wait a second. It’s not going to… no. No way. Only Chomp’s ever left the dungeon, and even he got weak—”

The moment the Corpsecap crossed the threshold, Adrian’s core skipped a beat. The monstrosity hesitated only briefly before lurching outside, its form dimming but still holding together. A sinking feeling washed over Adrian as he realized the implications.

“Oh, shit,” he muttered. His mind raced. If that thing went on a rampage outside, it could wipe out adventurers, villagers, or even attract attention from the guild. The kind of attention that ended with dungeons being annihilated.

“Lucy! Lucy!” Adrian shouted into the mental link. His voice cracked with panic. “Get on Chomp and stop the adventurers! Or warn them! Or… I don’t know, something! The Corpsecap thing left the dungeon, and if it keeps going, we’re screwed!”

Lucy, startled out of her quiet moment with Chomp near the edge of the swamp, blinked in confusion. “What thing? What are you talking about?”

“No time! It’s heading for the adventurers and—just go! Now!” Adrian’s thoughts were a frantic blur. “Chomp, grab her and get moving!”

Chomp, sensing the urgency in Adrian’s command, let out a sharp bark and bounded toward Lucy. Before she could protest, he scooped her up onto his back with practiced ease, his legs already pounding toward the entrance tunnel. “Wait—what’s going on?!” Lucy shouted, clinging to his fur as they sped through the swamp.

Adrian could only watch through his oculnids as the massive Corpsecap colony loomed over the fleeing adventurers, glowing with an eerie menace under the storm’s faint light. “Oh, crap,” he muttered again, his core pulsing erratically. “I might’ve made a slight miscalculation.”

Adrian’s core pulsed with restless irritation as the creature disappeared from his field of vision shortly after crossing the dungeon’s threshold. His oculnids, positioned at key points across the first floor, couldn’t follow it beyond the border. That left him waiting in maddening silence, something he was particularly unsuited for.

“Come on,” Adrian muttered to himself, his thoughts racing. Even with Chomp’s speed, it would take time to reach the entrance, let alone deal with whatever mess awaited outside. His irritation only grew as he imagined the chaos unfolding without him able to observe it directly.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was likely only minutes, his attention snapped back to his oculnid perched near the entrance tunnel. Something strange moved into view. A massive, fungal nightmare—a towering monstrosity made of Wendren flesh, glowing blue caps, and parasitic tendrils—calmly lumbered back into the dungeon. It moved with a bizarre grace, its oversized limbs swaying unnaturally as it crossed the damp ground.

Behind it, Chomp bounded happily, darting from side to side as if playing an elaborate game of tag. The massive creature ignored him, except to occasionally shift slightly to avoid stepping on the exuberant Flesh Crawler. Chomp sniffed at every angle of the thing, his tail wagging furiously, clearly delighted by his new "friend."

And then there was Lucy.

Adrian’s core pulsed erratically at the sight. Lucy sat perched atop the abomination’s shoulder—or at least the body part that most resembled a shoulder. She looked entirely at ease, one hand gripping a tendril for balance as the creature carefully cradled her with a massive fungal growth. She didn’t just look calm—she looked like she was having fun. A wide grin lit her face as the creature carried her back into the dungeon.

Adrian’s thoughts stalled. “What the actual—?”

The fungal monstrosity slowed as it approached one of the oculnids. Adrian used the opportunity to project his voice through it. His tone, as calm as he could muster, came out flat and stunned. “What happened?”

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Lucy glanced up at the oculnid, her grin unbothered by the question’s obvious disbelief. “Oh, the adventurers were fighting him—all of them. It was really bad! But I stopped them, told Corpsemountain it was time to go home, and here we are!” She patted the massive creature’s shoulder as if praising a loyal steed.

“Corpsemountain?” Adrian echoed faintly, his core glowing erratically in time with his flustered thoughts. “You named it?”

Lucy tilted her head as though the question were silly. “Well, yeah! He needed a name, and it fits, right? Look at him!” She gestured to the abomination as though its grotesque, fungal mass were a work of art.

Adrian didn’t respond immediately. He was too busy processing. The creature wasn’t under his control—he could feel that clearly. It didn’t react to his commands or link into his network like his other dungeon monsters. Yet Lucy had stopped it, convinced it to return, and even gotten it to carry her back into the dungeon. How? Did she control them somehow? Or was it something else?

“She’s classified as a dungeon monster,” Adrian muttered to himself, his thoughts a whirl of confusion and unease. “They don’t attack her, sure—but this? This is new.”

Adrian finally sighed, forcing himself to focus. He couldn’t afford to spiral into a panic right now. “Fine. Lucy, you and ‘Corpsemountain’—great name, by the way—get back to the hollow tree.”

Lucy beamed at the praise. “Thanks! I thought it was pretty good.”

Adrian pushed the next question to his Overseer. “Dronis, label that thing ‘Corpsemountain’ in the records. Make a note that it’s apparently... semi-tame.”

Dronis’s voice was as calm and mechanical as ever. “Acknowledged. Entry updated: Entity classified as ‘Corpsemountain.’ Status: Semi-tame. Origin: Irregular evolution of Corpsecap parasite network.”

Adrian sighed again as he watched Lucy and her new “pet” disappear into the distance, Chomp darting along beside them like an excited puppy. He had more questions than answers, and the unsettling realization was sinking in: Lucy wasn’t just part of his dungeon ecosystem—she might be something more. Something far more unpredictable.

“Well,” Adrian muttered dryly, “at least I won’t be bored.”

Adrian drifted into a near-hypnotic state, his thoughts tumbling over one another like an avalanche. The steady feed from the oculnids vanished from his awareness, their sensory input drowned out by the storm of questions battering his mind.

“Corpsemountain...” The name echoed in his thoughts, carrying with it a weight of curiosity and uncertainty. “Uncontrollable but friendly to dungeon monsters... at least when he’s not rampaging. Built from a Wendren, parasites, a Corpsecap colony... and various animal and monster parts. What even is he? The Corpsecap trap must be the original piece holding it all together, blending that mass. But... I don’t feel him as a trap anymore.” His core pulsed erratically. “So many questions.”

The swirling chaos of his thoughts shifted, focusing on Lucy. “And her... The system categorizes her as a monster. A dungeon monster. But she’s fully sentient and makes her own decisions. And those decisions... they don’t make sense.” His core flickered sharply as his thoughts pressed forward. “She can tame my dungeon monsters? It worked with Corpsemountain—so what else can she do? Could she tame everything in here?”

A sudden and dangerous idea sparked in his mind. “Could the evolution chamber work on her? That would be... interesting. Maybe I should test that out.”

----------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Lucy and her odd companions walked together into the second level. Corpsemountain’s lumbering strides were heavy but strangely measured, as though the fungal beast carried an inner contentment. Chomp trotted ahead, sniffing at the undergrowth, darting here and there in joyful exploration. The contrast between the monstrous Corpsemountain and the playful Flesh Crawler was almost comical, but Lucy took it all in stride. Her bright smile and cheerful demeanor seemed to lighten even the damp, eerie tunnels around them.

As they passed a herd of deer-creatures grazing near a large mushroom, Corpsemountain slowed. His enormous tendrils shifted slightly, as if searching for something unseen. His fungal caps swayed gently, and his movements became hesitant.

Low, melodic hums filled the air. Lucy looked up to see two Wendren standing at the edge of the herd. Their skeletal heads tilted in unison, glowing red eyes narrowing with caution. They hummed again, an urgent, uneasy tone that sent the herd retreating deeper into the shadows. The Wendren stayed behind, watching Corpsemountain with wary confusion.

Lucy patted one of the beast’s fungal limbs. “Oh, I see what’s happening here. They just need a little time, Corpsy. Don’t worry—they’ll come around.”

Corpsemountain’s tendrils drooped slightly, his massive body sagging with a strange, somber air. He let out a low, almost mournful creak.

“Hey, don’t be sad! Maybe we can visit them later, okay?”

At her words, Corpsemountain straightened, his tendrils rising once more with newfound vigor. His strides grew more confident as he followed the winding path toward the hollow tree. Chomp noticed the change and barked happily, circling the larger monster in a gleeful display of approval.

Lucy chuckled softly. “See? They just need to get used to you. You’re not so scary once they realize how nice you are.”

If Corpsemountain could understand her fully, it didn’t show. But the strange, abominable creature seemed reassured nonetheless, his hulking form moving with purpose once again.

Adrian’s awareness lingered on the trio as they approached the hollow tree. The scene left him feeling an odd mix of curiosity, unease, and begrudging amusement. “Corpsemountain taking advice from Lucy. What is my dungeon even turning into?” he muttered. But deep down, he knew—this strange, unpredictable dynamic was exactly what made it thrive.

A little later...

As Corpsemountain squeezed into the hollow tree, the room seemed to shrink around him. The once-vast space, dominated by Adrian’s pulsating dungeon heart, now felt cramped and heavy with the fungal titan’s presence. The soft glow of bioluminescent veins illuminated the strange tableau: Corpsemountain swaying slightly, Chomp wagging his tail with innocent excitement, and Lucy standing between them, a mix of curiosity and caution etched on her face.

Adrian’s voice slithered into her mind, sharp and serpentine. “Luuuuuucyyyyyyy?”

She froze, her head slowly turning from Corpsemountain to the glowing dungeon heart suspended in the air. A chill ran down her spine. Adrian had never drawn out her name like that before. “What... what is it?” she asked cautiously, a trace of dread creeping into her voice.

There was a moment of silence, heavy and unsettling. Then, with manic glee, Adrian’s voice exploded in her mind. “I just had a funny idea!”

Lucy’s stomach dropped. That tone. That tone. She knew it too well—Adrian was in one of his moods again. When his curiosity and hunger for experiments overtook him, all semblance of sanity seemed to evaporate.

“What... funny idea did you have?” she asked cautiously, a trace of dread creeping into her voice.

The hollow tree pulsed with an almost electric energy as Adrian’s silence stretched for an uncomfortably long moment. Then, like a thunderclap, his voice erupted, a manic glee underscoring every word. “Get into the evolution chamber!!!”

“Uh... how to say this... no?” she replied, her voice tinged with a mix of fear and disbelief. She began inching toward the entrance, her hand brushing against the rough bark for stability.

But Adrian wasn’t done. “But Luuuuuucccyyyy! Don’t you want to see what we can do with you in there?!”

“Oh gods... he’s lost it,” she muttered under her breath. With a nervous laugh, she took another cautious step backward. “No, Adrian, we don’t want to see what we can do with me in there, thank you very much.” Her tone was light, but her eyes were locked on the heart, waiting for his next move.

Then, just as she reached the threshold, ready to bolt and wait out Adrian’s madness, his voice shifted. The manic edge softened, replaced by something quieter, almost thoughtful. “But... what if we could fix... that leg?”

The words froze her in place. Lucy’s mind raced. Her twisted, misshapen leg had been a burden for her entire life—a constant reminder of what she could never have. She glanced down at it, the uneven shape hidden beneath her makeshift clothing. Could Adrian fix it? Could she walk like others? Run? Dance?

Her heart warred with her instincts. The cold dread of Adrian’s experimental glee clashed with the desperate hope sparked by his words. She turned back toward the glowing heart, her voice trembling. “You... you really think you can fix it?”

Adrian’s response came quickly, the excitement back in his voice but tempered with a hint of sincerity. “Think of it as a breakthrough, Lucy. Our breakthrough. Together.”

Lucy hesitated, glancing at Corpsemountain, who stood silently swaying, and then at Chomp, who barked once in encouragement. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. “If this goes wrong, I’m blaming you for everything.”

Adrian’s laughter echoed in her mind, gleeful and triumphant. “That’s the spirit!”

The evolution chamber pulsed faintly, waiting.