Dominik focused on the dungeon, and decided to rethink the spiders' evolutionary track. He was already increasing their intelligence as much as he could, he could only focus so much on one aspect. So along with developing their brains and slightly increasing cranial capacity, he would also focus on increasing the potency of their venom, and the quantity they could produce and store at any one time.
For now, they were his best fighters, and keeping them small would allow more of them to jump onto a target and start biting, as well as getting in between armor. Being hard to hit was also better than trying to increase the strength of their chitin. So staying small was important. Increasing their bite strength to go through strong armor or magic barriers of course, was a fool’s errand. If such a target shows up, the spiders should back off and let something else handle them. Hopefully when they become intelligent enough, they’ll understand that without him having to give them the command.
He also wanted to slightly increase their strength and speed, to increase jumping height and distance, and make them harder to hit. As well as allowing spiders that had spent their venom to get away.
Just these changes, he could feel, was starting to have a strain on the spiders. He lowered the speed of the changes just slightly, and allowed them to slowly improve. The difference should be more perceptible through the generations. And then, perhaps, he could work on longevity for the spider clan under his dominion.
Next, he worked on the troglodytes. They were similar to lizards, but they were warm blooded. Improved eyesight was a must, but he also wanted to increase their height slightly through the generations, and overall strength. He’d slowly improve the skeletal structure as well over the generations, as they’d evolved to hunch over, a posture which would become less than beneficial, as if they were devolving to walk on four legs yet again. Their claws could be a bit stronger too, as their last line of defense.
He considered adding venom, or some sort of poison, but if anyone got past the spiders, there would be no point in giving a weaker effect to the troglodytes. They were mostly meant to be workers anyway, not fighters. So anything that only benefited the role they were less than suitable for would be pointless.
He’d also planned on giving them spears to defend themselves in their own tight corridors, as well as making them capable of crafting basic things for themselves eventually. So to benefit both labor, crafting, and dexterity, slow twitch muscle fibers would be most important. Perhaps after they’d evolved over several generations, they could even begin cultivation high up on the mountain, once their eyes could handle the sunlight.
For now his two essential forces were heading down the right evolutionary path. He’d consider what to do with the crows, beyond speed and stamina, later.
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After this he continued checking on Fran, and improving the strength of the dungeon’s floors, walls, and ceiling on the upper level, to assure no one could break through, and to make sure it appeared more developed than it was. The first few floors would have to convince any groups sent in the coming weeks to turn back before going any deeper.
When he returned, he would consider making a body more suited for combat in the dungeon. The final enemy between them and the dungeon core, his new real body.
Soon it was morning, and Fran stirred. The dark elves, he noticed, seemed slightly unaccustomed to the light as well. Likely from generations living for so long underground. Thankfully it wasn’t debilitating, but she clearly didn’t handle the bright sunlight in the day nearly as well as humans when they were out of the dense foliage of the forest.
After making sure she’d had enough to eat and drink, and he’d pet the mule, they continued on to the town.
When they reached the town, it was already sundown. They brought the mule to some stables for the night. Then they’d asked around for the adventurer’s guild, and thankfully it stays open late. Apparently it’s open all day and night to accommodate schedules, though various services are only available at certain hours. Dominik vaguely remembered visiting this town, but he didn’t recall ever entering the adventurer’s guild.
They mostly kept to their own camp outside the town, and only ventured over here for supplies. The slaves weren’t meant to do much speaking to the townsfolk, and the free noblemen of the king’s line were more loath to speak to peasants than their own slave soldiers. The mixture of common birth, and perceived weakness and cowardice sickened the higher ranking members of the royal guard. And the cheers and adorations the men with a slave army would receive sickened him as well. Whether it was through their own ignorance on the matter, or purely from relief that someone was coming to their small town to do something, it made him nearly as revolted as the rest of them.
He’d felt anger bubbling up, just below the surface. He’d been so calm, almost happy in the dungeon, even wandering around the forest. The small village wasn’t so bad either. But these people around staring at him, at the both of them, all their inane babbling and cloying presence, it made him feel a familiar hatred.
He couldn’t speak to them yet, the anger he was feeling would shine through, and it would seem misplaced for the man he was trying to portray himself as. He ordered some tea and they sat down. He drank it slowly and tried to re-acclimate himself to be around so many other humans. It would be natural for travelers to need a drink after such a long walk anyway, especially before having a discussion about such a topic.
Fran was staying quiet, sipping her tea, playing her part well. Even with the glares she was getting, she gave off an air of indifference, as if she was unconcerned with it, though he was sure it bothered her.
They couldn’t wait too long, or else it’d seem suspicious. But he supposed two elves, each a couple hundred years old, might have different gauges of time and importance, especially concerning human lives. He was glad she’d suggested this backstory.
He focused on his dungeon for a bit, watching the troglodytes play in the cave, watching the others sleep, and he relaxed a bit. Soon he had finished his tea, and he felt he could continue his role.