While following Selenia as she walked from the ant's farm area to David's cell carrying food we discussed the future plans for the dungeon. During such conversations, I've become aware that with the escape of the rogue my discovery has become inevitable. Most dungeons were discovered by villagers and farmers while hunting or tilling the new land and with the reward for any confirmed information on a new dungeon being enough for a simple villager to become a minor Nobel in a small town, the discovery never stays a secret for long.
Soon I can expect adventurers to show up to cordon off the entrance before a more permanent guard can be put in place, in case I “turn into a spawning ground for demons”. Humans don't really appreciate endless swarms of monsters spewing out from their land. Worse yet mages from the arcane university will be coming to study the early stages of dungeon development to judge if I'm a risk to their country, a decision which could very well mean an early end to my dungeon. I will be doubly screwed if they find out I'm intelligent, having a being capable of creating anything with enough time and power under your control would be too good an opportunity to pass up for most countries. The only reason this has rarely happened in the past is that dungeons run purely on instinct, an instinct that would rather collapse itself than be controlled by another. So I need to make my dungeon seem like a good little dungeon while protecting myself from brilliant mages all the while seeming like a dumb-ass “sigh”.
Selenia is unfamiliar with all the criteria the university uses to judge a dungeon as safe, but she knows that most dungeons use everything they have to repel intruders even going so far as to harm themselves during their infancy. Then after a few years, they begin to lure animals and other creatures into their domain often to be corrupted by miasma the dungeon creates giving control of the creature to the dungeon only for it to make them fight to the death to obtain their life energy. Older dungeons learn to attract adventurers with rewards accompanied by serious danger to obtain them, resulting in adventurers dying and their life energy being consumed by the dungeon.
With this in mind, I'm going to try to appear like an older dungeon that has yet to be discovered thus being considered safe by the countries standard. While contemplating on what the first floors of my dungeon see going to be like we arrived at David's cell. The moment she sees David she frowns which is rewarded by David teasing “to be waited upon by such a beauty I'm sure moving up in the world” which Selenia ignored before walking away. After leaving earshot she asked “when are you going to start torturing him?” leaving me confused.
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“you insisted I save him why would I torture him?”
“aren't all you dungeons cruel monsters who enjoy the suffering of others,” she said
“I may enjoy being sadistic on occasion but without a reason, I won't harm another. So do you want me to torture him?”
To this she snapped back “of course why would I get you to save him if not to make him pay for betraying his comrades”
“betraying you” I rebutted then left before she could reply. I know what I want to work on now, a new body to use
While my ants dug the new first floor I made my way to the lab, an area I use to experiment with new ideas and evolutions of my ants. One there I began working on the skeletal structure, After experimenting with skeletons in the past this past was easy. Then with an iron frame, I began grafting muscles onto the frame from previous experiments with animals my ants captured, using the faster-possessing speed of my core body this didn't take long to get the shape and function right. Then adding skin and a few finishing touches such as long wavy blond hair it was complete. The body was complete but it could not house my consciousness it was too simple for that and was closer to a golem than a living being but it would be enough for its purpose. I will have to create a homunculus to use as a body in the future that can house my consciousness, hmm I wonder where I can find a dog and a little girl.
Now with my little project complete and the ants nearing completion of the first floor my time for playing around is over. So I went over to Selena 's room and fetched her. Silence rules the air as I guided her to the lab and when I open the door she gasped upon seeing my newest creation. Enjoying her surprised expression I told her the reason I brought her here “she's quite beautiful, isn't she? I call her Selena version 2” as the doll is introduced it stands up and nods. As Selenia sees this copy of herself animate I can see the fear grip her heart as her face pails, Not allowing her time to regain her calm I activate the mark on her soul bringing out the longest and most delightful sound she had made yet. I only stopped the pain when she stopped making noise because she was out of breath and could not breathe. As she gasps for breath I tell her my reason for doing this “I will tell you this only once. Do not try to manipulate me because it will only bring you unimaginable pain and suffering. Next time you want something simply ask I don't care if the request is absurd but if you try to manipulate me, even in something you think it's benign I WILL make it my mission in life to destroy everything that makes you yourself”. After my warning, I leave the fool to her own devices as she shivers uncontrollably on the ground. It was cruel I know but she must learn her place if she is going to continue existing. Because there is nothing I hate more than manipulative people.