Dominik woke up again, more whole than he had been the first time, but still scattered. For now he chose to focus on his new life, rather than focusing on the old. He didn’t mind being this new creature, laying in here, deep within the dungeon, but he wished to explore the dungeon directly, rather than through his new sight. Perhaps he’d even step outside the dungeon, where he could barely see as things stood.

He focused his body and his magic on fleshcrafting. He hadn’t been allowed to do much research on the various types of creatures referred to as dungeon cores, and especially not those considered eldritch, ancient and alien in nature. Things from a plane more warped, or perhaps only more unknowable than hell.

He felt there was more he would be capable of in this form, but for now he focused on creating something he could use from afar, something he could dwell within. He wanted to create an avatar.

Dominik couldn’t clearly recall all of his memories, especially not the finer details, but he could clearly recall images. His face, his height, even his anatomy. This creature’s body had consumed him just as he took its mind over, and ripped apart its soul. He had retained its extensive knowledge over the body it consumed, as well as that of the anatomy of the various other things he’d recently consumed.

Dominik went about recreating his previous body. He made improvements to the skeleton, minor enough to go unnoticed without being torn apart and thoroughly examined. He did away with unnecessary organs, and made improvements to the ones he kept. Most importantly, he made a crystalized core on the right side of the chest, to contain excess mana. He would pour extra mana into this avatar as he neared his maximum.

This was a far more efficient human being, especially for a spellcaster. More importantly, if the body was destroyed his consciousness would simply be forced back to his main body, the dungeon core.

He spent hours, or perhaps days, perfecting the first body, even creating an artificial consciousness to take over when he brought his attention back to his main body. Perhaps similar to necromancy. It could stand, sit, continue remaining completely innocuous should he remove his consciousness fully.

This way, if the cave were attacked, and his full attention was needed while the body was very far from the cave, he could simply leave it without drawing too much attention. Assuming he were in some sort of human settlement or other sort of gathering. Though he found dividing his attention for short amounts of time to be achievable. Perhaps extended periods could be achievable as well with enough practice.

Unfortunately he needed clothes, and the creatures within his cave didn’t seem quite intelligent enough for advanced tailoring. Only wearing crudely stitched together rags themselves, if anything. More importantly, they were nearly blind. He instead had them bring clothes that were only slightly oversized, which had belonged to one of the more advanced demonic denizens of this cave. Some clothes had been stored thankfully, as the ones worn by humans in the attack were very much ruined.

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After the troglodytes brought the clothes, he got dressed with his consciousness in his new avatar. He didn’t need to use a mirror, he just observed himself from his main body. He looked very human, as he remembered being, but with much better skin, and a fixed skeletal structure. Even the ligaments were improved.

The troglodytes didn’t seem to have any reaction to his new form, recognizing him as the same being immediately due to some sort of connection. Clearly they had entered some sort of spiritual contract with the eldritch dungeon lord, which had carried over after he had taken over its body and consumed what was left of its soul.

This gave him easy command over them, but it also allowed a connection beyond the physical which would allow for more elaborate alterations. He considered making improvements to them, but because they were living creatures, it would need to be much slower. Especially if he wished for the changes to carry over to future generations.

He’d like to increase their intelligence. As of now, they were only slightly more intelligent than dogs. He’d also like to increase their longevity. But he thought he should try something simpler, and more easily observable. First, he would try improving their eyesight, both in light and in the dark. Eventually, if he made them intelligent enough, they would be able to read and write if their vision was better. So it would all come together eventually for them.

He went up to the couple of lizard-like creatures that had brought him the clothes, and he pet them. They seemed happy and they wagged their short tails.

He wandered through the tunnels, or rather crawled for the most part. The tunnels were a bit short. He gave the command for the troglodytes to start increasing the height of the various tunnels they’d recently built, except their safe haven.

Other rooms and tunnels were larger and more refined, clearly other creatures had taken care of the finer details. But he had no intention of summoning demons. At least, not unless he needed to. But for now, the cave had not been attacked again, and there was no pressing need. In fact, a large gathering of weak, uncontrolled demons wreaking havoc on the area near the dungeon when he was sleeping may have drawn more attention.

When he reached the entrance of the dungeon, he’d tried giving the spiders more complex commands than simply not attacking things linked to him, something they could sense as beasts contracted to him.

He would like for them not to attack children, infant animals that still needed to grow, and anyone who approached that didn’t seem like a threat. Like maybe a weary traveler. But the spiders weren’t intelligent enough to understand or interpret such things.

They would need to be his first test subjects on improving intelligence, and their brains were simpler than that of the troglodytes, so he found it to be a good choice for a trial run. Even their generations would be faster, and more numerous, so the effects of the evolution could be observed quickly compared to that of the others.

He focused on the link between them, and subconsciously put forth the effort to slowly increase the mental capabilities of the spiders. The mana used for this was sent from the dungeon core, from his main body to the spiders here. This process would take place slowly over time.

Satisfied with the development he’d set in motion for this clan of spiders and troglodytes he’d taken under contract, and the relatively small amount of mana needed to do so for such numerous creatures, he set out from the cave to explore the surrounding forest.