Ducky Season 2: Chapter 58: Mold Issue
Mold.
Mold…
Mold…
MOLD!!!!
WHY IS THERE MOLD EVERYWHERE?!
Gazing at a newly opened room of my dungeon, I was appalled to learn that the entire damn thing was covered in mold!
Where?! How?! WHAT?!
Slurp slurp slurp slurp
Ayaka continued eating, sipping up the black mold on the floor with a loud chittering sound coming from the crowd of spiders behind me that all seemed eager to eat at the mold.
Interesting…
Slimey held me in her hands, the woman's body wiggling from proximity of the mold, the only one besides me who seemed appalled by the spectacle.
I focused my attention on the opening at the other end of the cave, one exposed by one of my capruxas that had been chewing up the dirt for an expansion.
The hole had revealed some sort of chamber, one laded with fungus and mushrooms from what my squeakerlocation could pick up, along with various square objects and hanging materials. A room with furnishings it seemed.
This was supposed to be the stairway to connect my domain to the catacombs instead of walking through the sewers. Walking out of my throne, traversing the sewers and pipes, then entering the catacombs ate too much in my exploration time.
So the idea was to make a stairwell. Something to ease the strain on my soldiers…
Suck suck slurp slurp
Annnnd of course no good deed goes unpunished.
Sigh.
This needed to be investigated. So far, the only source of mold was… ick. Me.
Well, until now.
The hole was too small for a goblin or Ayaka to pass through, meaning the only way to investigate would be from Slimey and I.
Sigh.
Slimey.
On my order the slime in spider dress moved forward, her feet stepping into the black mold and immediately sizzling.
[-5HP]
[-5HP]
[-5HP]
A panel showed up, Slimey's health rapidly decreasing from contact with the mold.
Slimey!
“Yes Lord?” The slime replied, unphased from her rapidly decreasing HP.
GET OUT OF THE MOLD!
“What for my Lord? Our objective is ahead.” Slimey replied standing still, her body slowly dissolving into the black goop below us.
DON'T JUST STAND HERE! WE'RE SINKING! SINKING!
“Oh… My apologies my Lord. But I don't seem able to move.”
HELP! HELP! HAAAAALP!!!
After being fished out along with Slimey's cores by Ayaka's spiders, I sat on what remained of Slimey and pondered my plan of action.
The mold was spreading, growing rapidly, visibly inching closer and closer to the hallway where a dozen of my spiders stood chittering. Even Ayaka face down in the mold was incapable of eating it all on her own.
Great. HOW DO I CONTAIN- wait a minute.
Slurp slurp slurp
The spiders… they were immune to the blight!
Were all of them capable of eating the mold?
Come to think of it, they all seemed hungry…
Was it possible they could eat the mold unharmed?
Ayaka.
“Hm?”
Are all your kind able to digest this mold?
Suck suck suck
Ayaka.
SUCKSUCKSUCKSUCK
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
ANSWER ME! I sent, the spider shuddering as my command forced her to obey.
*Y-y-yes. BUT YOU DON'T NEED THEM TO! I can eat it all faster! J-just watch!”
SUCKSUCKSUCKSUCKSUCKSUCKSUCKSUCK
Right… at this pace, we'll be here till next year.
Get in there boys! I sent, ordering my spiders.
“NO! WAIT! PLEASE!” Ayaka screamed.
What? Why?
“BECAUSE IT'S MINE! ALL MINE! MY PRECIOUS! MINEMINEMINEMINEMINE!
Get in there. I ordered.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
The swarm of arachnids went to work, gnawing hungrily at the mold, the cavern erupting into a cornucopia of sucking sounds.
Great. Wait. It just occurred to me that I… oh no.
****
Well. This sucks.
Squeaking over and over again, the lower sewers were… infested. My little test all those months ago left to fester and grow.
Even what little monsters that remained were covered in mold, blighted and twisted. Their forms perverted and in pain.
Burn it. Burn it all.
Yup.
That was the only option left to me.
I couldn't stop the tide, I simply didn't have enough spiders. So I instructed an experimental group of goblins forward.
Goblin Archers, arrows and short bows crafted from bone.
Not the most ideal material. It lacked elasticity as well as the ability to store and release energy. But, the elastic spider silk helped, allowing crude arrows to be fired from a short distance.
One crap arrow? Not much of a threat. But a dozen sharp arrows in a tight corridor?
Definitely an issue. Wrap silk around the arrow and spark a flame using stones?
Well, a fire archer was created.
I ordered the goblins to keep a distance, one row of goblins in charge of lighting the arrows, while the other row fired.
For now, the only thing that could halt the spread being flames. Or… at least, I thought it would.
“SCHREEEEEEEE!!!”
Suddenly a scream, a banshee's shriek that shook the sewer walls with black smoke striking the ceiling from the roaring flames.
What the?! What is that?!
I could feel it, killing intent, albeit oddly retrained, more akin to dull blunt weapon striking me heavily even my goblins were cowering.
Huh… Well… that's terrifying.
What was that? Was the mold connected to something? An extension of some creature’s will?
I reached out, touching the disgusting mold just in case.
Nothing.
No sapience. No will or spirit.
The killing intent subsided.
Great…
Well…
Nothing is coming to kill me. So… safe?
I'll need to get a hazmat team together. A control-
An image.
Flames.
Men and women in yellow suits. Tubes known as flamethrowers in hand, torching tents in a wooden environment.
A cigarette in my mouth, my body clad in camouflage fatigues as I put on black glasses that reflected the flames.
I blinked. The memory fading. A sickly sensation settling in my mind that was quickly subsiding...
Eh.
Gobledo. I ordered, the goblin breaking from formation and kneeling beside me.
“My Lord!!!” Gobledo exclaimed, head lowered.
As of this moment. You have been elevated to rank of Captain, Head of my Purification.
From this moment, your role will be to purify the my domain. Select two to raise as your lieutenants.
“Yes! My Lord! Thank yous for me rank!” The goblin screamed, it's mind flooding with my instructions on what to do.
It would take some work, but eventually we'd get there.
I need to level up my goblins. Fortunately I had the bodies of those adventurers. Three total who were excellent sources of experience.
The goblin bosses were stronger than my regular goblins, but versus humans… they still wouldn't stand a chance.
From my goblin followers, I had fourteen goblins bosses total, out of the hundreds of goblins.
Sadly no orcs. But that would have to change.
Skill and constant training alone would only get them so far, strength and power would ultimately be the deciding factor. In fact, I should upgrade all my minions now that I think about it.
Oddly, Ayaka was close to leveling up the bug suddenly leaping up two levels, almost as if she had killed something strong or consumed a…
Oh no.
You! YOU! AYAKA!
[MINION AYAKA, HAS HIT LEVEL CAP!]
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Name: Ayaka
Species: Hibernating Magicka Spider Monarch(Addicted) LvL 40
HP: 25560/25560
MP: 1000/1000
Skills: Spin Silk LvL 10, Paralytic Bite LvL 5, Pouce LvL 10, Poisoner LvL 10, Blend LvL 6, Dark Vision LvL 5, Magic Vision LvL 5, Bile Spit LvL 5, Resonate Silk LvL 3, Magic Chant LvL EX, Magic Circulate LvL 8, Ice Spear LvL 3, Glacial Shot LvL 3, Flame Bolt LvL 4, Lightning Bolt LvL 3, Flamethrower LvL 2, Blunt Barrier LvL 4, Commander LvL 3, Egg Incubator LvL 9, Rune Gesture, Mana Charge LvL 3, War Cry LvL 4.
I focused on my domain, a massive spool of web forming around a stupid glowing bug splooted out on the floor with a leg sticking out of its mouth.
YOU! YOU! SLIMEY! TAKE ME HOME NOW! I'M GOING TO KILL HER!
*****
Invincible…
Ayaka's web had hardened into an invincible-like substance that prevented any physical or magical damage, even Zorin's claws couldn't dent the web.
WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE! UP! YOU STUPID UGLY FATASS BUG! I WAS SAVING THOSE BODIES!!! YOU'RE LIKE A DOG! BUT A BAD DOG! A VERY BAD DOG! aaaaaaAAAAAAGH!!!!
Ok.
Slimey.
“Yes my Lord?”
Remind me to kill Ayaka later.
“Of course my lord.” Slimey replied, wiggling around, her body “Shall it be death by electrocution, immolation, drowning, or crushing my lord? We can also spear her to death if you so choose, there are several options I have considered for this inevitable day.”
Right. Hmm. Drowning seems like the way to go. Actually, it would be more productive to waterboard her wouldn’t it?
“Spiders don’t breathe through their mouths, my lord. May I recommend tying her up and having Gobledo and his men lower her into the bubbling sewer water below?” The pink slime suggested, wiggling happily.
Hmm. Excellent choice. Maybe skewer her and roast her over a fire even?
“OH! I’m so happy that you’re finally making the choice to be rid of that cancer in our lives!”
Alright. Settle down. How are our guests doing? I sent, casting my attention over to the three prisoners isolated in their bedrooms.
The furnishings were sparse, a bed made of silk and bone, a composter for their bodily wastes, and a stone table scavenged from the castle basement above.
Everyday, I had Slimey's clone bring them food and water, the time there used to gauge their reaction to blight as well as interrogate them for all they knew in the form of something they were familiar with.
Surprisingly, the senior paladin had been most cooperative, telling Slimey of the size of the enemy troops, the commander's name, time till arrival, and even proposed strategies on how to defeat them.
Which, all things considered it seemed odd. They're was definitely more to the story but I wanted to butter them up just enough that they would be comfortable to answer me when I asked for more… personal information.
Personal for me.
From the memories, I had a glimpse of the state of the world. But… I had no real concept or idea of the full picture.
That would soon change.
“Nearly there my Lord. The old one is eager to talk with my other self and seems to enjoy my company. The female priest is weary but cooperative whilst the human male is a degenerate that I would recommend executing post haste.” Slimey reported, recalling how the man had slapped her rear as some sort of “jiggle physics” test and occasionally tripping and landing between her chest, resulting in copious burn wounds.
No. If we kill him now, it would demoralize the others. The rule of interrogation is making the enemy believe you're on their side. That you don't enjoy what you're doing but you have to and you can help them. If they believe they won't get out of here alive, they'll shut down.
“Ah… I see. Very insightful my Lord. Truly your genius is unmatched darling.”
Right. Let's just focus on each task one at a time and find this treasury. We have less than a week left to prepare entertainment for our guests.
“Of course my lord.” Slimey replied, bouncing happily.