Leye was now protected by a stone dome. Thick rocky blocks covered the sphere in which he was trapped on all sides, except from above, where a halo of sunlight fell upon him.

Through the trees he controlled, he observed the building the human hunters had constructed to protect him. It was an enormous dome, surrounded by several houses and four stone archers that acted as sentinels, vigilantly watching everything that approached. They were autonomous, although Leye could fire their rocky arrows at will.

Fortunately, he hadn’t had to put them to the test. Only the apes and macaws, attracted by his energy, visited.

Within the range of the sentinels, the humans had built several marble wells, in which bluish mana rested, increasing the dungeon’s energy regeneration per minute.

Beyond the archers, there was a shrine dedicated to the goddess Tlaloc, which, once it received enough gems, could begin summoning creatures for defense. However, for the time being, it was only adorned with statues of the goddess and serpents of various species slithering from one place to another. They had also built a restoration hall and a resource warehouse to store treasures.

Leye's mind could travel through each of these places, inside and out. All the buildings were made of the same material and had small gargoyles shaped like serpents. The apes moved about, carrying fruit and carefully avoiding the snakes that hissed and flicked their tongues.

"My beautiful dungeon is finally taking shape," he thought, satisfied. "Although, for some reason, I don’t feel safe."

This growth would not have been possible at such a pace if not for the experience granted by the strange huntress who had betrayed her companion and bonded with the core. Although the other humans also worked to gain experience in dungeons outside the jungle, they didn’t send even a quarter of the experience the foreign warrior provided.

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"No doubt she could have handled the other heroes on her own. She only used them to get rid of the guy who came with her. The worst part is that I’m under her power. I’d better be very careful with that foreigner, at least until I’m stronger."

Regardless, her experience had been very useful. He appreciated the other group of heroes more, who were currently fighting in some high-level dungeon, but they weren’t nearly as productive.

The dungeon’s heart decided it had enough mana to get to work while waiting for news from its allies, so it set to work.

He focused all his energy on the shrine dedicated to his mother. He instinctively knew it was time to start creating monsters of his own. The humans had proven to be useful allies, but they were as fickle as the winds, and at any moment, they could betray or abandon him; it was best to be prepared.

He began draining his mana points, which were just over five hundred at that moment, while directing all his concentration to the star-shaped altar in the center of the building. Among the marble columns and the snakes moving indifferently throughout the place, a light began to emerge a few meters above the ground.

Leye started to weaken as he funneled all his energy and resources into that small corner of the dungeon. The snakes writhed and slithered faster as the light in the shrine grew stronger.

When he had little more than ten energy points left, a message appeared on his interface:

You have created your first monster! Nava'rel, the winged shadow of the dark forest. She will be under your control once she awakens.

Level: One.

Leye looked at the creature with pride, admiring her beautiful form. She resembled a human, with hair as black as night and small wings on her back, as well as sharp claws on her hands and feet. The harpy rested in a fetal position on the altar, surrounded by serpents. She slept peacefully and indifferently.

"She’s beautiful," he thought, admiring her perfect curves. She was as defenseless as the core had been the night it had fallen from the sky. "I feel weak, but it’s been worth it. Now I just have to wait for the mana wells and the fruit the primates bring to give me some sustenance."

He didn’t like remaining in such a weakened state, but it was definitely worth it. In no time, that new asset would be as useful for defending the dungeon as for exploring new ones. Besides, he trusted his mother and his allies. It was only a matter of time before experience started flowing through the place again. Now, all that was left was to wait.