“Yes, Alexandria! Tell me! Hurry, and tell me! How can I bring back Strong Helper?! Revive her, I must!”
Excited, I was! I could bring back Strong Helper! My broken heart slowly mended. I deeply desired to see Strong Helper. Apologize, I must. I must apologize for letting her down - for not saving her. Do better, I will.
“Of course, my dear Dungeon Master. But- Ahem, you see, Dungeon Master, tis rather difficult for me to speak to you from all the way down here. The explanation will consume a rather lengthy amount of time. Death and revival are a complex process, you see. And flying while explaining the nitty, gritty details will draw out all the breath within me. Oh, my poor, old, and tired wings. Oh, these exhausted windbags of mine.”
I glanced at Alexandria with a strange feeling. She touched her beak to her right wing, nudging it and rubbing it in a pitiful manner. But her eyes did not show pity. They did not show fatigue. Those beady red eyes of the crow remained wide open and closely watched my core, inspecting all of my every action.
This crow, Alexandria - she is different from my other creations. Is she testing me?
“Speak directly. What is it that you want, Alexandria?” I stated.
“Oh! How could I dare, dear Master? Buuuut since the Dungeon Master insists… There are quite a few things I do rightfully deserve. Since I am, of course, the Dungeon Master’s best assistant - a renowned spirit assistant! No other creature could hope to compete - let alone compare. Ogres, most definitely not. Hmmm… How about an essential first for now, yes, Master? Let’s see. Oh! Right! An assistant needs a home office! Easy, right?”
“Whats Flying Thing say abouts me?!” Strong One shouted. Angry, Strong One was, but also confused. He covered his brother’s ear and tried to whisper, but we all still heard him. “Pst. Hey, Strong Defender. Is Flying Thing talkings bad abouts us?”
Strong Defender sighed and shook his head. “That is not important.” Strong Defender looked suspiciously at Alexandria.
It was not entirely subtle, but Alexandria’s voice slightly changed from her playful manner, revealing hints of a sharp and commanding tone.
“Create it for me - a bird’s nest, Dungeon Master, and at the same level as you.”
“Whats?! Puny Flying Thing dares demands Master?! No’s, Master! Flying Thing not needs nest! Flying Thing needs smash! ”
“For once, I agree with Strong One, Master. We only kneel and serve Master,” Strong Defender said with a nod before glaring at Alexandria.
“Ogres. Annoying imbeciles,” Alexandria huffed under her breath.
Alexandria’s request was not completely unreasonable. All my creations including myself have our own rooms. Alexandria asking for her own was something I would eventually do. I considered her family, albeit, distant family that came from Mother.
Alexandria looked at me with calculating eyes, expectantly waiting for me to do her bidding.
“Sure,” I said.
"Master!" my creations shouted in opposition.
It was nearly silent, but I heard a muffled scoff croak from inside Alexandria’s throat.
“But first, do your job.” With a voice that made the darkness of my belly tremble, I retorted back at my new assistant. “A renowned spirit assistant, you said you were, correct, Alexandria? Not a family member then. Therefore, paid, you will only be, after proper work is done.”
Taken aback, Alexandria was. Flustered, she hurriedly rushed to explain herself. But the trust was already broken. She was a creature of Mother. It was now more apparent than ever. So alike to Mother, Alexandria was. They wanted to use me but did not care otherwise.
“Dear Dungeon Master! You misinterpreted my words! You misunderstood my good intentions! I was only wanting a nest elevated from the ground! It would only make it easier for us to communicate in doing so! We would be on the same level! We could talk face to face!”
“Then talk. Tell me what I asked of you,” I replied coldly. With mana reinforcing my voice, I commanded, “Fly while you explain, Alexandria. I do not care if your wings are old and tired. Tell me. Now. What is the method to help Strong Helper? How do I revive her?”
I heard a high-pitched squeak from Alexandria. All of my mana within my belly resonated with my flaring emotions, weighing down and binding Alexandria.
Hmm… this was similar to what Mother did to me.
Alexandria was flattened to the ground, restrained by the growing threads of mana that began to wrap around her neck.
“Mercy! Dungeon Master! Mercy!” Alexandria squawked.
But I showed no mercy.
Alexandria’s pleading awakened something foreign and unusual within me - an unknown side - a much darker side to me that I did not know existed. A dark hunger arose and tainted my mind, thumping loudly as it awakened and was now alive and wanted to eat. It rushed erratically out of me like a long-caged demon set free, wanting only suffering and destruction.
A greedy, bloodthirsty desire to see Alexandria squirm and writhe on the floor of my belly crawled out from the depths of my being. It prowled towards Alexandria, using my slowly shaping hands. The carnal desire erupted out of me in the form of my mana, molding itself into threads infused with countless needle-like spikes.
Out of instinct, I copied Mother and made hands out of threads of mana.
The new gush of turbid emotions swallowed me whole, and I lost myself in the berserk-like state. Dark. Manic. I hungered to hear Alexandria scream and to only keep screaming. Innately, I reacted, commanding the spiky threads of mana to wrap and tightly bind around Alexandria.
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I then realized what kind of creature Alexandria was: ‘spirit assistant’ - emphasis on spirit. Now that my mana wrapped around Alexandria, her crow form appeared to be partially ethereal and translucent. But squirm and wiggle as she might, Alexandria could not escape mana itself. Partial souls - even complete souls - could not escape the threads of pure mana - the very essence of creation.
Shrill screams, hoarse and high-pitched, screeched from her throat - squeezed out from her soul as my spikes of mana dug into her spirit. Again, Alexandra begged, “GAAAHHH! Mercy, Master! Mercy! I swear fealty! I swear it! I swear to be forever loyal!”
I did not listen. I was in a trance. I looked on creepily, taking delight in every moment of her agony. Her desperate shouts and wailing only fueled the dark cravings deep within me. I needed more. It tasted ravenously good. Powerful, I felt. Dominated Alexandria, I did. Showed her who was the master and who was the servant. But it was not enough. Like a predator playing with its food, I needed her to scream more.
[Notification]
Skills level up!
Mana Threads LVL 1 -> 2
Mana Manipulation LVL 3 -> 4
I barely noticed Yellow Screen. I only enjoyed the shrill screams wailing from Alexandria as my mana thread wrapped around her more and more, twisting and constricting tighter and tighter.
“GAAAHHH! AAGGGHHH! It hurts! It hurts!”
“Scream for me. More. Give me more!”
Regretted now, Alexandria did.
The spikes along my threads seeped into Alexandria, shredding her soul.
“Master?” Strong One asked with a wavering voice. “Master angry? Master look not okay. Master sick? Me worrys about you, Master.”
Strong One’s concerned voice broke the crazed emotions that consumed me. I gasped, coming back to myself. My core burned with an unknown and pitch-black darkness - an evil darkness that consumed me.
What was that?! That wasn’t me. That wasn’t like me at all!
I released my threads of jagged mana that bound and dug into Alexandria. My mana threads burst and dispersed back into their free-flying motes, slowly drifting and seeping back between my walls. My blackened core slowly flickered with glimmers of light, returning back to the golden hue it once was.
“Master look better. Me worrys, Master.”
“Are you alright, Master? You seemed different, Master.”
“Yes, Strong Defender. I- I think so. I am okay now. I am sorry, Strong One. I don’t know what came over me.”
Literally, I did not know. Whatever took over me was unknown to me. I don’t think I had these crazed, murderous inclinations before. Never did I think that I would find delight in the death and suffering of another creature.
Was it because of Alexandria? Did she do this?
I glanced at Alexandria who still writhed in a seizure-like state on the floor of my stomach.
No, unlikely.
Instigated, Alexandria maybe did. Her actions triggered the sleeping, twisted desires within me. She awoken the beast. But Alexandria herself did not create the emotions that took over me. They were already there, hidden in the darkness within myself. Hidden so well, I did not even know.
But how could I not control them? Why did I react in such a way? I found it… repulsive.
Repulsive?
Yes, Alexandria had hidden intentions, but was it worthy of such suffering? Surely not. Was this part of what I am? Was this part of being a Dungeon? Was a Dungeon really a murderous monster? Was this the nature of a Dungeon?
“Oh, great Dungeon Master! Forgive me! I sincerely apologize! I kneel at your feet! It was wrong of me to covet to be at your level!”
I looked at Alexandria’s show of submission. She humbled herself before me with her head bowed to the ground and wings spread wide open. I had yet to trust her. But I suppose twisted and cruel punishments had their own impactful effects. Learned well, Alexandria did, from testing me. She would think twice before repeating such actions in the future. Maybe it wasn’t so bad, the evil, berserk feeling? Should I indulge more in it? It helped make Alexandria obedient.
Think more about this matter, I will.
Did I want to be like that? Repulsive, I found the emotions to be. My creations worried and feared me as well. They could not hide it. I felt them trembling deep from within. Yet, now Alexandria was kept in check. Was this what it meant to be truly strong? To be feared?
The strong were feared.
Enough for now.
“Tell me, Alexandria. Do not play with me. How do I revive Strong Helper?”
Alexandria ceased groveling beneath my core with her wings spread full eagle. With a few flaps, she lifted off my belly, kicking up a miniature cloud of dust and dirt as she flew. Bobbed up and down in the air weakly, Alexandria did. She looked more translucent than before. Feared me, she now did. She ensured to fly lower than my core.
“Yes, great Dungeon Master. Thank you. Thank you for sparing me. I shall tell you at once. You see, Master, Dungeon monsters are unique existences. They are not truly living. Dungeon creatures are animated, created, and formed unnaturally. And yet, they breathe and live as real beings - even breeding and birthing new life of their own. Many call Dungeons and their creatures abominations. That, however, is a matter of perspective and bias.”
Fluttering in the air, Alexandria looked at my creations as she continued explaining.
“However, it is true that Dungeon creatures are incomplete and fragmented. Dungeons can easily create containers - the husks and bodies of potential creatures - with the proper knowledge, but souls are necessary. And souls are tricky. Souls with eroded egos are best. Partially because souls with intact egos are hard to find - they are furthest away in the deepest part of Purgatory, therefore costing more mana to pull out. Souls that have drifted for a long time have lost much of themselves, and by effect, are closer and more easily pulled from Purgatory. A lighter soul makes for easier lifting and pulling, per se. Less costly mana requirements.”
Overloaded, I was. I knew not what to think. Alexandria lived up to her title. Knew much, she did. Smart was she. But what was I? I was the Dungeon she referred to. I was also the incomplete being she mentioned.
Alexandria looked back at me.
“Mana cost is important. But the most important factor to a Dungeon is expendability. Breeding creatures takes time. Creating creatures takes mana. The life and death of a Dungeon depends on the creatures that can protect it and help it grow. And creating monsters as fast as possible is necessary for survival. You shall soon find out Dungeon Master. However, a Dungeon needs souls to make living creatures, and only Hive Mother knows how to obtain new souls. Only she knows the location of Purgatory. But that matters not for you, Dungeon Master. For normal, recently departed souls - they take one full day before being returned to Purgatory.”
The crow paused and emphasized her next sentence.
“Dungeons can recapture those recently departed souls. For Master’s purposes, so long as the departed souls are within the boundaries of the Dungeon, then Master can obtain them. But unfamiliar souls that perished in the Dungeon will resist. They are not easily taken. Powerful souls can resist returning longer or even warp mana and become unnatural creatures themselves. ”
I began to understand more, but my ears perked up when I heard Alexandria next speak of Strong Helper.
“With enough mana, Dungeon creatures are mostly undying. They can be recycled and reborn so long as they have yet to be returned to Purgatory. Dungeon Master, you can bring back your deceased Ogre by reforming her body and collecting her soul. Reinfuse them together and give life to your creature once more.”
“Yes! Yeeesss! This is what I needed! This is what you should have told me, Alexandria! Strong Helper! I will save you from the eroding darkness! Alive, you will be once again!”