Lucy took a hesitant step forward, her five legs still uncoordinated, each movement a mix of wobble and determination. Her new body felt alien, but curiosity burned brighter than awkwardness. Marked Skull stood silently, his towering figure now even more imposing with his freshly evolved features. His third eye glowed faintly as if observing her as much as she was observing him.
She circled him, her bioluminescent patterns casting faint, dancing lights against his scarred and spiked form. "Huh, you're different," she muttered, tilting her head as she studied the uneven patterns on his skull. "I've seen others like you... but not quite like this."
Marked Skull hummed softly, a note of acknowledgment, though he remained still. He wasn’t used to such scrutiny, let alone from a creature that exuded a sense of peace despite her predator-like form.
Then, without warning, Lucy crouched slightly and sprang onto his back. Her movement was quick, a mix of instinct and whimsy. Marked Skull staggered, his weight shifting forward slightly, but he quickly steadied himself. He craned his head to look over his shoulder, his fiery eyes meeting hers.
"Hey, you're sturdy!" Lucy grinned, gripping the ridges along his back for balance. It wasn’t quite the same as sitting on shoulders—her new insect body made her perch more akin to clinging—but it worked. She peered over his shoulder, taking in the room from his elevated height. "Wow, the view’s way better up here!"
Marked Skull blinked his three eyes in unison, a mix of surprise and bemusement. The additional weight wasn’t much to bear, but her audacity was unexpected. He let out a low, rumbling hum, his form adjusting slightly to stabilize her.
"You don’t talk much, do you?" Lucy asked, leaning forward and tilting her head to catch a glimpse of his face. "That’s okay. You’ve got the 'big and silent protector' vibe going. I like it!"
Marked Skull hummed again, this time with a hint of warmth. The weight on his back felt less like a burden and more like an acceptance of her presence. He resumed standing still, a sentinel carrying his strange companion.
Adrian’s voice slithered into Lucy’s mind with a dry tone, "Lucy, please don’t break the Wendren. I just finished fixing him."
Lucy rolled her eyes but smirked as she patted Marked Skull’s shoulder. "Don’t worry, Adrian. He’s sturdy. Right, Marky?"
Marked Skull didn’t respond with words but let out another low hum, his fiery eyes flickering slightly in what could only be described as agreement.
As Lucy perched on Marky’s broad, bony back, she tilted her head, studying the towering Wendren with wide, curious eyes. “You’re not like the others, huh?” she mused aloud, her legs shifting slightly to keep balance. She gently tapped one of the faint glowing lines etched into his skull. “The other Wendren, they don’t have these… cool light thingies.” She traced one of the bioluminescent marks with her small claw, giggling softly when it glowed brighter for a moment under her touch.
“And you’re way taller! I bet you could squish a whole swarm of those buggy fliers all by yourself!” She patted his shoulder with an approving nod. “And your extra eye! Whoa. Does it do anything cool? Can you see in the dark? Oh, wait, I bet you can see all around you, huh?”
Marky hummed softly, his deep tones reverberating through his chest. He didn’t speak—not yet—but the sound felt… thoughtful, almost indulgent, as if he appreciated her attention.
Lucy leaned over his shoulder, her flower-petal dress swaying as she peeked at his face. “You don’t look scary like they do either. I mean, you’re kinda spooky, but in a nice way, y’know? Like… spooky friendly. Yeah! You’re like a big, spooky teddy bear!” She hugged his neck—or at least tried to, given the difference in their sizes.
If Marky felt awkward about being compared to a teddy bear, he didn’t show it. Instead, he let out another soft hum, steady and calm, like he was already adjusting to the curious new creature climbing all over him.
Lucy tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, you’re like a super special Wendren, huh? Maybe you’re like… the elder brother! Yeah, that’s it! Elder Brother Marky! Oh, that’s a good name!” She grinned brightly, clearly proud of her naming skills.
Marked Skull’s deep hum echoed in the heart chamber as he turned his fiery gaze toward Adrian’s glowing form. His posture was dignified, his newly evolved strength evident in every movement. “I am bigger now… stronger,” he began, his voice resonating with a solemn weight. “I can defend my herd with that. But what about the other Wendren outside? We came for guidance, not for power… Not that I am ungrateful for the power you have given me, O Sacred Tree.”
Adrian paused, digesting the question. Before he could respond, Lucy, still perched on Marked Skull’s back, leaned over his shoulder, her insect legs fidgeting in irritation. “Wait! Adrian! Were you still in your strange mood when he came here?!” Her voice carried a mix of exasperation and disbelief as she glared at the dungeon heart suspended in the center of the chamber.
“What mood? I don’t know what you’re talking about, Lucy,” Adrian replied, feigning innocence.
Lucy squinted at the heart as if she could see Adrian’s nonexistent face. Her glare intensified. “Don’t lie to me!”
Adrian ignored her, turning his attention back to the towering Wendren. “About your question, Wendren… there are just two or sometimes three of you per herd, correct? Why not just stick together? When adventurers come—well, predators, as you know them—more is better.”
Lucy groaned, sliding off Marked Skull’s back with her five insect legs landing gracefully on the soft floor. She planted her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at Adrian. “No! Adrian! I will climb up you next and tickle your heart until you fall to the ground if you don’t say you’re sorry!”
Adrian sighed. “Lucy, that’s… childish. What would I even be apologizing for?”
“Don’t play dumb! You know what you did! You gave him all that power without even asking if he was okay with it!” Lucy accused, pointing an accusatory claw at him.
Marky tilted his head slightly at her outburst, unsure whether to intervene. Adrian, however, found himself on the defensive. “Look, Lucy, you’re exaggerating. I simply enhanced him a bit—”
“Okay then, I’ll go get Corpsemountain, and together we’ll climb up there and tickle you. Prepare yourself!” Lucy declared with a mischievous grin, already stepping toward the exit.
Adrian froze. For the first time in a long time, he felt a pang of something resembling fear. His dungeon circulatory system was durable, but having a rampaging Corpsemountain and an irritated Lucy climbing all over it? That was a recipe for disaster. “Wait, wait, wait!” he said quickly, his voice tinged with panic. “If the Wendren agree to help defend the heart room, I can make arrangements, okay?”
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Lucy stopped in her tracks, turning back with a triumphant look on her face. “See? That wasn’t so hard. You could’ve just said that in the first place!” She crossed her arms, still grinning.
Adrian sighed, though his thoughts betrayed a certain pragmatism. If the Wendren help defend the heart room, they’ll serve as both added security and test subjects. Plus, keeping Lucy happy might mean fewer insane threats to my heart… for now. “Fine. The labyrinth will house your people, Wendren. But remember, this is not a sanctuary; it is a fortress.”
Marked Skull lowered his head respectfully, his tone filled with reverence. “You have my gratitude, Sacred Tree. Your wisdom will guide us.”
Lucy, meanwhile, beamed with excitement, her insect legs tapping the ground as she turned to Marked Skull. “See, Marky? You and your friends have a new home! Isn’t Adrian just the best?”
Adrian groaned internally. Somehow, he knew this arrangement was going to cause him more headaches than it was worth.
Over the next days:
Over the next few days, the second level of Adrian’s dungeon grew busier. More adventurers descended, driven by greed and ambition, plundering anything their hands could grasp. Some fell prey to the creatures and traps he had carefully placed, their corpses adding to his growing biomass reserves. The influx was more than Adrian had anticipated, requiring him to spawn additional collectors—a minor inconvenience that yielded significant gains.
The Wendren, true to their word, began migrating their entire clan into the labyrinth. During the evenings, as the dim light from the ceiling’s cracks faded, the air filled with their hauntingly beautiful hummed songs. Adrian, despite his typically detached demeanor, found himself pausing experiments now and then to listen. The harmonies resonated through the labyrinth like a living melody, adding an unexpected charm to the otherwise eerie atmosphere.
Using his terraforming ability, Adrian carved out spaces within the labyrinth, creating small clearings and niches. The Wendren adapted quickly, settling into these new areas. Deer-creatures grazed and rested among his roots, while the Wendren formed a protective line between the labyrinth’s entrance and his heart room.
One day, while disposing of a failed experimental monster, Adrian noticed something curious. The Wendren, rather than discarding the creature as he had, adopted it. The monster secreted a slow-hardening substance—useless for trapping adventurers due to its sluggish pace, but apparently perfect for construction. The Wendren had begun using it to build rudimentary huts, their structures taking shape with surprising speed. One particularly industrious Wendren had even started herding the creatures like livestock.
“Useless to me, priceless to them,” Adrian mused, watching from his Oculnid network. “One man’s trash, I guess.”
The labyrinth grew livelier with each passing day. Corpsemountain found a space of its own in a small clearing between roots, where it seemed content. Most Wendren still kept their distance, but a few bold individuals approached, attempting to communicate. With time, Adrian suspected even Corpsemountain might be fully reintegrated into the clan.
Marked Skull, now the undisputed leader of the Wendren, directed their efforts. His size, intelligence, and ability to communicate with Adrian made him a natural choice. Adrian, however, had little patience for the constant attempts at reverence. He banned any Wendren from approaching the hollow tree, reserving access exclusively for his “inner circle”—Lucy, Chomp, and, reluctantly, Marked Skull. The rest were to keep their “small, insignificant wants and needs” to themselves.
Lucy, on the other hand, thrived. The Wendren revered her and Chomp as the “chosen of the sacred tree.” Their adoration made her laugh, and she happily indulged their curiosity about her strange, new body. Adrian had explicitly told them to stop praying to him, insisting he wasn’t a god. Unsurprisingly, they ignored him. “Whatever,” he muttered. It wasn’t worth the effort.
Meanwhile, Adrian’s mind churned with new possibilities. Lucy’s transformation had exceeded expectations, proving that combining dungeon monsters with human elements could be extraordinarily effective. If Lucy could merge with a creature to such an astounding degree, what about merging creatures with each other? The idea sent a thrill through him.
“Let’s see what new monstrosities I can create,” Adrian thought with a glint of excitement. His experiments were about to enter a new phase—one that promised results as fascinating as they were grotesque.
Ulrick and his team:
The sharp sound of metal on stone echoed through the tent as Gale ran a whetstone along the edge of his sword, his expression grim. His blade had been replaced after the last outing—his old one bent beyond repair by the strength of a Wendren’s strike.
“I still can’t believe it,” Gale muttered, breaking the silence. “That thing... ‘Corpsemountain.’ It just strolled out of the dungeon, wrecked everything in its path, and then walked back like it owned the place.”
“It practically does.” Nole, reclining on a crate, inspected the fletching on her arrows. “Lucy said it wouldn’t attack again. Not exactly comforting when you’re looking at that thing’s tendrils waving around.”
Brill, seated at the corner table with a pile of alchemical supplies, grumbled. “Let’s not forget that the same Lucy we thought was gone—dead, even—is now some... dungeon emissary? Or whatever she’s supposed to be.”
“She’s more than that.” Vin looked up from where he was carefully sorting anti-toxin vials. “Obeyed it, she did. Commands clear, hers. Not luck.”
“Great,” Gale scoffed, tossing his sword down. “So, we’ve got a dungeon that spits out monsters strong enough to fight entire teams and a girl who’s best friends with the lot of them. Fantastic.”
“She’s not a threat,” Ulrick said firmly, his tone silencing the group. He was carefully packing extra rope and rations into his bag. “Lucy didn’t attack us, and neither did Corpsemountain, not after she stepped in. If anything, she saved us.”
“Saved us or spared us?” Nole countered. “There’s a difference.”
“Does it matter?” Brill interjected. “She kept us alive, didn’t she? And for now, that’s enough. What I care about is what’s down there. The deeper we go, the weirder it gets.”
Ulrick nodded, his eyes narrowing. “Exactly. That second floor is unlike anything I’ve seen before. The Wendren, the venomwing swarms, those mushroom forests... It’s like the whole place is alive in a way no other dungeon is.”
“And don’t forget the ‘eye-roll incident,’” Nole added with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood. “Every one of those creepy dungeon eyes moved at once. Gave me chills.”
“Odd, yes. Eyes everywhere,” Vin noted, sorting his vials with precision. “Watch us, they do. Relentless.”
Gale groaned, dropping his head into his hands. “Don’t remind me. I thought I was going mad.”
“It wasn’t just us,” Brill pointed out. “Even the other adventurers in the dungeon said the same thing. Everyone felt it. Something’s... watching.”
“Something always is.” Ulrick hefted his pack, slinging it over his shoulder. “That’s why we’re bringing extra supplies this time. Double rations, more healing potions, and enough anti-toxin to survive an ocean of venom. If we’re going deeper, we’re doing it smart.”
“And not dying,” Gale muttered, standing and retrieving his sword. “I’d rather not end up part of some mushroom monster.”
The group shared a grim chuckle at that, though the unease in the room lingered.
“Alright, enough talk,” Ulrick said. “Let’s get moving. The second floor isn’t going to explore itself.”
As they left the tent, the looming mountain stood in stark contrast to the clear sky. The ever-present storm cloud above the dungeon swirled ominously, a reminder of the challenges—and mysteries—waiting below.
After finishing their preparations, Ulrick's group set out with a determined stride. The road to the dungeon was bustling with activity. As they approached the entrance, they passed by a blacksmith who was deeply engrossed in his work. His hammer rang against the anvil in rhythmic strikes, sparks flying with each hit. Oblivious to the commotion around him, he worked tirelessly on what appeared to be parts for a gate.
The defensive wall that had been hastily constructed in front of the tunnel was a testament to the guild's quick reaction to recent events. A rotation of adventurers now stood watch at all hours, their eyes scanning the area for any potential threats. Though the wall was still incomplete, it stood as a reassuring barrier between the dungeon's mysteries and the academy's camp.
As the group passed through the bustling camp, someone caught their attention. “Is that… Lukas?” Gale asked, squinting to confirm.
It was indeed Lukas, the hunter who had discovered the dungeon. He moved confidently toward a group of four adventurers, chatting and laughing. His injuries from the discovery of the dungeon seemed to have healed completely.
“Look at him!” Gale continued. “He’s in a team now! And isn’t that Karry with him? The girl from the inn?”
Nole smirked. “Yeah, I think that’s her. They weren’t a couple back then, but… who knows? Maybe they’ve figured it out.”
Despite the curiosity, Ulrick’s group had a job to do. There wasn’t time for idle chatter. They exchanged a few glances but didn’t stop to greet Lukas or his new companions. With a renewed sense of purpose, they continued their journey toward the dungeon’s ominous entrance, leaving the lively camp behind.