The swarm sprints between the blue Vines, soon reaching the waters. Without even checking on their surroundings, they immediately swim up and join the chaos that is the pond right now.
As I observe them, I notice how they move in a different way than Twitchy and her siblings did. This group is much more proficient and fluid, something that can only be gained with practice and age, which I know they do not have.
I don't understand how, but the mana flows inside their nest transformed the dungeon-born Wasps into a force to be reckoned with.
The Wasps move as one, and while they have some difficulties staying together inside the thick and long Vines growing upward like swaying trees, they always keep within each other's reach. From the outside, it looks like a collective mind is guiding their actions.
This time, I take back all my consciousness and watch everything happening inside that portion of my domain. It might not be fair to all the other creatures, but if I have to choose between my own monsters and the others, I will choose mine. I don't want to let what happened to Twitchy occur again. Those feelings and instincts are new, but that doesn't make them any less valid. If possible, I want my creatures to survive and thrive, even if that means being an instrument in the death of others.
I sweep my senses inside the big half-sphere, and I quickly spot two Vines that are not really Vines. While searching for the hidden snakes, I notice at the same time four swimming plump shapes, the same creatures that always ate my Bright Slugs every time I tried to create them. After making sure there are no other threats, I send all these pieces of information to my own creatures.
They know how to behave and hunt much better than I do.
The Wasps all twitch and swim toward each other as they receive my knowledge. And after regrouping and communicating by using their feelers, they move toward one of the plump shapes using the Resonating Lianas to hide their bodies, slowly surrounding their prey. While they sneak in position, the unknown creature notices something is wrong and quickly tries to swim away from my domain, but my defenders are everywhere, and as one, they strike.
Finally, I recognize the figure for what it is, a fat dark green frog.
The creature has just enough time to understand it is being attacked from all directions before five stingers ruthlessly penetrate its body. It reacts by trying to gobble down one of my Wasps, but as its tongue wraps around the insects and starts to pull in, two of the other waiting insects bite it with their mandibles and slice it. The frog shudders and rasps in agony, green blood darkening the already turbid waters. Spasming, it tries to swim away for a few minutes while the Wasps bite, claw, and sting it; until it finally stops, motionless, and my monsters start to greedily feed on the body.
This wasn't a hunt or fight. It was an execution.
Congratulations! You have acquired a pattern, Stixrant Frog.
Stixrant Frog (Common): Stixrant frogs are well-known for their high intelligence and regenerative abilities. Slightly larger than its mundane cousins, this species is troublesome to kill since they can live breathing underwater and use mana to regrow lost limbs or non vital organs. Because they are much more clever than most Common creatures, they are hard to capture and raise in captivity. However, once they accept someone as a companion, they never run away or betray them. For these reasons, they are usually suggested as the first familiar for inexperienced wizards who regularly kill their weaker assistants while practicing their new spells.
This was...distasteful. Far more than I thought it would be.
The Frog wasn't the snake. It wasn't an enemy and danger, not really. Instead of hunting and killing my defenders, it ran away at the first sign of conflict. It was trying to live and survive as everything else does.
And I spelled its death when I gave its position to my Wasps. Without my presence and perception, it would have survived.
Not even a few minutes ago, I accepted being an instrument of death if that meant allowing my creatures to survive. However, seeing the desperation in the creature's eyes, the moment it realized it was about to die...this was awful.
Is this really the right thing to do?
Maybe because it was somewhat more intelligent than anything else that died inside my dungeon until now. Or that this was the first time I consciously chose the death of another creature. Possibly because it didn't have any chance against the swarm, and its death was so similar to Twitchy's end.
I don't know why I am feeling this way, but its demise affected me as much as hers did.
Confused about my own emotions, I concentrate on my domain, the only place I can find some answers.
Many creatures ran away from the chaos, including the other three Frogs and one of the two snakes, causing the waters to be rather quiet after most mundane animals hid inside the Moss and between the thicker Vines.
Since the remaining predator is lurking on the opposite side of the half-sphere, and the Wasps are still busy eating their prey, I focus on a secluded spot between the blue Vines, gathering some Water-Attuned mana. After a few minutes, an adult Stixrant Frog moves for the first time in its life. The amphibian is big, 30 cm in body length, with a large mouth, webbed toes, slick dark green skin, and powerful back legs. An identical copy to the one I just saw slowly and painfully die.
The new creature examines its surroundings for a few seconds with big bulging eyes before swimming away in search of food inside the Moss.
For the moment, I let my consciousness distractedly linger on the Frog as it lives. Even if I shouldn't, I still feel some surprise when the Frog ruthlessly hunts and kills small insects. The view is so similar to the Wasps executing the other amphibian and eating the body, I finally understand why I felt that way.
I actually killed something, didn't I? I choose to take away Life from something else, doing something I would never have done before as a tree.
But...as the Frog is doing right now, why would that be something I shouldn't do?
Everything is part of a cycle. A part of Life and Death. This is a lesson and truth I thought I knew by heart. Yet, I always missed something about it.
I am inside that cycle as well. Now more than ever.
However, I was a producer before, not a predator. Of course, I would feel something when intentionally killing a living being. Even if I couldn't really understand it, I liked nursing and providing. I liked being one of the necessary steps of Life itself.
Yet. I am different now. My existence will inevitably cause the demise of other beings just to survive and grow, like almost every other creature does. I am not a tree anymore, and this is not Corruption. It's clear now that my role in Life is not the same as before; killing and consuming to develop is natural for a dungeon core.
Still... I don't want to give up everything I was for 1000 years. I cannot accept that. And I don't think one necessarily negates the other. I can still develop while providing and supporting growth. I have a way ahead.
I focus deeply, and within a few minutes, I create four Stixrant Frogs inside the waters.
Since I will have to take something away from the world to grow, I will have to give back something else at the same time.
This is the only solution I can find. For every life lost, I will make sure five or even ten will take its place. I will make sure their death will not be in vain. I will make sure their species will not become extinct.
I've been deceived by my long existence and immortality, but Life was never about one single individual. The next generation is always more important than the older one; the survival of a species is within its seeds, not the grown tree.
And to assure those seeds will sprout, nothing is better than my current form.
Absolutely, my dungeon can be a place where every single being can struggle for survival and growth. But I cannot forget what is truly important. It has to be a place where every species as a whole can thrive and evolve. Where whole races will not disappear so easily as it happened when the azure fires scorched everything.
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This is the only way I can balance everything. The only way I can be a dungeon core and an Elder Tree. Be a predator and a provider at the same time. Believe I am not Corrupted.
As I find a path forward without being overwhelmed by guilt, I feel a transcendent power flowing inside my core; a message and gift from the Akashic Records.
Congratulations! You have earned a Title: The Life Sworn.
The Life Sworn: Despite your new wild and predatory instincts, you did not forget your roots, did not forget your previous self. As a result of the hidden aspects of your Variant species and your devotion to Life itself, you were able to develop a growing natural environment inside your own domain, even when doing so didn't provide you any additional power. Your mentality and pledge to Life have granted you this Title. As long as your domain supports more Life than the Death you bring, and all the species you grasp live and thrive, you can imperceptibly intuit the Evolution Paths and missing requirements of your creatures.
Be aware, if you break your own oath, this Title will disappear.
The powerful energy keeps flowing inside my heart, surging wildly before slowly settling down within. Soon after, the Title tries to grip the world inside my domain but falters without enough purchase.
This...
I cannot remember the Traits and Titles I owned as an Elder Tree, but I am sure I never had a similar one. This Title feels...powerful and encompassing. Even when inactive, I can perceive it inside my core, flowing restlessly.
It feels like...me.
And what are the hidden aspects of my variant? I thought the Trait A leaf amongst thousands would be the only different thing about my species, but the message is telling me there are other features as well.
I almost start to experiment with it, trying to understand why it's not active yet, when I see my Wasps move in a dangerous direction. There is no trace of the Stixrant Frog's body, and they probably went to take air in at least once while I was pondering about my future. Right now, though, they are swimming toward the hidden snake.
It's clear they don't know exactly where the creature is lurking, and something similar to what happened to Twitchy's group will follow soon if I don't do anything. I cannot see the snake in detail, but I can imagine its appearance. I can clearly remember the strange red fur on its back, the wholly blood-red slitted eyes, the long dark-blue body.
I don't know why, but it is easier to think about killing this creature than another Frog. Still, as soon as I gain its pattern, I will create a few of them and provide enough time and safety to reproduce. I might not like the species that much, but this doesn't mean it deserves to disappear.
Focussing on its spot, I sent its precise position to my defenders. With new knowledge, the Wasps quickly converge again with one another before slowly approaching the hidden snake.
While they prepare, I think about my plans to understand its Dark element, but after my own reaction to the Frog, I don't think I can follow through with it, no matter how much I dislike this creature.
My initial intention was to have my Wasps paralyze the snake with their venom and constantly harass it without killing it. Maybe even trap it inside some Vines I would have grown around it. This way, the creature would use its ability every time it could, and I would have all the time in the world to study the Dark attuned mana. However, even if I don't really respect the species, the idea feels wrong now.
After my vow, I can accept killing something to grow and defend myself, but this would be pure and simple torture. I know most creatures would not think anything about it, but it is too much for me.
I will let my monsters hunt and live as they want. I will not intervene if my creatures need or like to do something similar to survive and grow, as some parasitic insects are doing even now within the tunnel. However, if not absolutely necessary, I will not be the one to inflict such suffering on another being for my growth.
My instincts revolt when I decide to not execute my plan, as I choose to 'waste' this opportunity and not be efficient. However, I've somewhat learned how to cope with them since I evolved, and this time I do not want to submit. Strangely, I feel my new Title flowing slightly faster inside my own heart, and the ruthless urges calm down a fraction more.
It wouldn't even make that much sense, I know there are other snakes like this one out there, and I will sooner or later understand it anyway. Also, after trying to grasp the ethereal unknown element within the Wasps' nest, the difficulty doesn't feel that high for the Dark one.
While I am distracted, the swarm takes position around and above the snake, easily swimming between the thick blue plants. I don't know if the creature doesn't realize it is being hunted, or it is confident enough in its camouflage, but it doesn't react at all.
Strangely, the swarm waits in place as well. It's like they know this creature will be way stronger than the Frog, even if they never met it before.
Tense minutes go by, and as I see my own monsters shift their eyes left and right, grinding and snapping their mandibles, I eventually remember they will sooner or later have to swim away to breathe. While the enemy creature can easily wait until they are vulnerable. This is why it's not reacting at all. It can simply wait to strike at the best moment.
I almost send them a message when I remember their reaction every time I did it before. If they try to regroup again, the snake will certainly take the opportunity to strike.
Luckily, they soon realize the same.
One dauntless Wasp stealthily takes position near the creature's back, and it surprises me when instead of stinging the snake, it bites the tail with its sharp mandibles. The reptile finally moves, hissing in fury at the unexpected pain. His blood-red eyes almost glowing, and the fur on its back ruffled, it immediately turns and tries to swallow the clever Wasp, but my monster is long gone, already safe and eager to strike again.
While the enemy is distracted, three Wasps quickly swim near the undefended coils and sting or bite the creature, before retracting their weapons and withdrawing to safety. As the snake twists again with a vicious hiss, the same thing happens again and again.
The creature soon finds itself unable to do anything while being surrounded by the whole swarm swimming or gripping the Vines just outside its striking range.
This is incredible. The small insects are baiting and attacking the enemy like a pack of wolves would do. It's clear they cannot do much damage while doing this; the bites barely penetrate the dark-blue scales, and they do not have time to inject enough venom at all. However, I don't think injuring the creature is their intention. They are trying to weaken the bigger monster to avoid casualties.
The dungeon-born are far more intelligent than I thought.
As they keep doing this, I start to believe they can take down their enemy without any problem. However, as one of the Wasps hurts the snake, the stinger slips down too deeply, and my creature finds itself stuck inside the powerful clenching muscles. I barely have enough time to realize my defender cannot get away before the snake strikes with vengeance. The Wasp is instantly shredded to pieces by the sharp teeth, with blood and chunks of its internal organs spreading within the waters.
Your sterile female Natatory Wasp has died.
The other Wasps snap their mandibles at the creature, furious at their sibling's death, and they attack the snake as one. After they lose their reason, the fight becomes much more chaotic.
The Vines and Moss around the battlefield are shredded and torn apart while the snake jerks and strikes, muddying the waters a lot more. Small insects and tiny fishes flee as fast as they can as the battlefield enlarges to the entirely of my domain within the pond.
When the creature finally starts to show some signs of fatigue from the constant harassment, two other Wasps lay broken within the wood.
Your sterile female Natatory Wasp has died.
Your male Natatory Wasp has died.
Until now, I didn't realize how much harm that first Wasp sting near the head did to the original snake. This fight was much harder for my creature without that stroke of luck.
Surrounded by my monsters, the creature is bleeding from tiny cuts and swollen stings, but the injuries are much lighter than they seem at first glance.
As the Wasps attack together another time, mana churns inside the snake's body, and immediately after an ink-black cloud of Dark energy erupts from within, almost swallowing the entire swarm. As it happened that first time, I cannot perceive anything inside the ability.
I focus most of my consciousness on studying the attuned Dark mana while a tiny portion is checking for the Akashic Records messages. And immediately after, I receive one.
Your sterile female Natatory Wasp has died.
I keep waiting for more deaths, but my creatures startle me when they rush away from the darkness, leaving only the snake inside it. They quickly surround the black gas from all directions, waiting for the snake to come out of its own ability, some gripping the Vines around it, some staying down near the wood over the Moss.
Ah. I didn't think about just rushing away, even if it's an obvious solution to this specific ability.
Seeing the Dark-Attuned mana not dissipate even after my creatures escape away from it, I don't waste even a moment, and I concentrate as hard as I can to study and learn how to copy it. Minutes go by, and the Wasps start to grind their claws and mandibles, twitch their feelers, and tilt their head left and right. I doubt they can stay inside the waters much longer.
The Dark-mana suddenly starts to shimmer, before falling apart. As it does, I try to remember the process as much as I can. After a few seconds, the Dark flows completely unravel, and the mana turns neutral, slowly dissipating within the atmosphere.
A long shape comes out like a rushing boar as the ability ends, striking at one of my Wasps. The insect darts away, barely evading the bite, and the stretched jaws only destroy a few fragile Vines.
My defenders do not hesitate for even a second and attack the snake together. Water-Attuned mana revolves around their stingers, and the creature is impaled from all directions.
After using its ability and the long struggle, the dark creature finally doesn't have enough energy to fight back. After it shudders powerless for a few seconds more, it takes its last breath and sinks toward the broken Moss, dead.
The Wasps do not waste any time and drag their prey toward their nest, where the little pale blue grubs impatiently wait for them.