I hated the darkness.

Alone, I was. Drifting. Drifting away by myself for an unknown length of time. Walked, I did, mindlessly towards oblivion.

Cold. Empty. Endless. Slowly eating away at what little remained of my mind, Purgatory did.

It made me slowly forget. The darkness slowly consumed me, chipping away everything that was me. Helplessly, I eroded away, dwindling into nothing inside the black abyss.

I shuddered at the thought should I ever be forced to return. Hoping for Mother to help me again, I could not. Warm, Mother’s voice was - saving me, lifting me from the dark abyss.

But Mother was not a savior.

Mother struck me. Mother shattered the walls of my stomach. Mother did not care that my mana bled into the surroundings, drawing danger to my heart - my core. Mother did not care when Strong Helper was buried alive.

Mother only said she would watch. Watched, she did, as Strong Helper died.

Pain. Anger. Grief. My heart - it hurt, betrayed yet ridden with guilt at my powerlessness.

I could not save Strong Helper before. But I will not allow Strong Helper to face such a miserable end - deported to be lost and fading in the ever-consuming darkness.

Save Strong Helper, I will!

“Alexandria! Show me! Show me how to save Strong Helper!”

The crow, Alexandria - the flapping of her ethereal black wings echoed faintly to the distant corners of my belly. Alexandria hovered in flight in front of my heart, keeping midair with each flap of her wings.

“As you command, Dungeon Master. In fact, Master, you have touched upon the fundamentals of ‘reviving’ already.”

Confused, I was.

“I have? When?”

“Oh, great Dungeon Master, you may find it hard to believe. But I have indeed already taught you. Master, may I first ask you a question?”

I could not respond because Alexandria quickly asked anyway.

“Master, what do you think a spirit assistant is for?”

This time Alexandria waited for my response.

“Why ask? What games are you playing at, Alexandria? Do not test my patience. Just tell me how to save Strong Helper.”

“Oh, of course not, Dungeon Master!” Alexandria hurriedly replied. “I wouldn’t dare waste your precious time. It is important. And relevant. It is related to reviving Strong Helper. No idea? Ok. Let me enlighten you, my Master.”

Relaxed a bit, I did, hearing the possibility of what I wanted to know.

“Spirit assistants are not merely guides, we are teachers. I, the Bastille of Knowledge, am your teacher, Master. And taught you, I already have, dear Dungeon Master.”

“Already? Taught me? Are you playing with me, Alexandria!? When did I learn anything from you?!”

“Mercy, Master! It is true! I was only trying to help you, Master! To teach you! And I did, it worked!” The crow’s neck drooped pitifully as she lowered her head before adding, “Even though you, Dungeon Master, misunderstood and hurt me.”

Confused, I was. “You already helped me? How? When?”

“Yes, Dungeon Master, I did. I taught you out of well intent, but you, Master, you harmed me instead. The first lesson a spirit assistant is to impart to their Dungeon is the basics of mana and souls. The creation of my nest would require the manipulation of mana, and the sensing of souls requires even finer applications of mana in order to physically touch a spirit. Although the lesson did not go according to plan, Master, you performed both actions when you punished me!”

Knew, I did, what Alexandria stated. I recalled the deep, evil desires that emerged from the hidden depths of my being. Remember, I still did - remembered myself taking delight in Alexandria’s near demise. It was hard not to relish the disturbing emotions I had.

“You mean me using Mana Threads to bind your partially ethereal form? Your punishment? That was the lesson you tried to teach me?”

“Well… it didn’t entirely work out the way I desired, I admit. However, the results were the same. If Master had followed what I intended to teach, then I would not have writhed in agonizing pain from having my soul being crushed.”

I knew not what to think. At first, ashamed, I felt. Alexandria’s explanation sounded legitimate. The crow sounded like she only wanted to help me learn. Yet, something didn’t sit quite right. Something felt off. But at the same time, nothing Alexandria said was necessarily obviously wrong.

Was she gaslighting me?

“Fine. You did your job. Now finish it. How can I help Strong Helper? What am I to do to bring her back?”

“In due time, Master. One more teeny, tiny question. If I accomplish my task, would you still build my nest, dear Dungeon Master? You said you would. And an assistant works best with the proper resources.”

Alexandria then plopped to the ground, wrapping her wings around the front side of her body. “Ugh. My poor, violated soul. Oh, how it still aches.”

I glared at Alexandria.

This crow. Alexandria, you are something else. Punishment was not enough.

“Master! Flying Thing annoying! Talks too much! Tell Strong One! Smash! Strong One will smash! Shut up Flying Thing forever!”

“Stupid Ogre, why are you butting in when no one asked for your meddling? Go be stupid and kill something outside.”

“Strong One nots butt! Strong One fist wills squash puny Flying Thing!”

“Stop, the both of you,” I hissed. A headache pulsed throbbingly within me as Strong One clenched his fist, ready to pound Alexandria. I did not need anymore infighting. “We need to help Strong Helper.”

My spirit assistant was not loyal like my creations. She was of Mother, brought to me from the unknown darkness. Reminded me of Mother, Alexandria did. Yet, she was different as well. More conniving than Mother appeared to be.

“Fine, Alexandria. A nest, I will build. After you do as you were told,” I stated, replying to Alexandria’s request.

“Master! No’s Master! Flying Thing nots deserve it!” Strong One complained.

“True to my word, I will be, Strong One. Told Alexandra to do her job. Said I will make her nest before, and so, I will. I do the same for you and Strong Defender.”

Strong Helper groaned but no longer refused.

“Now tell me, Alexandria. How do I revive Strong Helper?”

The crow smirked gleefully at Strong One, making deep lines warp his angry face. “Yes! Of course, dear Dungeon Master! The basics you already know will help you greatly. All you need to do now is simply wake Strong Helper.”

I glared at Alexandria. Knew more about her personality, now I did. Annoying, Alexandria was, just like Strong One said. Alexandria stated to awaken Strong Helper. Had I not already tried? Can the dead be so easily awakened?

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I examined the crow. Alexandria looked at me with unknown intentions from her beady red eyes. They peered at me, waiting for me to ask for help. She purposely wanted me to ask her more. Alexandria wanted to prove her worth. The more valuable she was, the more I needed her. In return, more she could get from me. Conniving, she be, Alexandria.

“How? How do I awaken Strong Helper? Strong Helper died. Move, she cannot.”

Alexandria grinned widely at my asking.

“Of course, waking a dead corpse is impossible unless turning the body into an undead, of course. But that is not our purpose, Master. Wake Strong Helper’s soul - the soul that is still stuck within the body. Usually, a recently deceased soul will awaken themselves within half a day or less. They will then be wrought with confusion or denial as they leave the body. However, they will eventually wander until Purgatory comes for them. Then they will pointlessly try to run from the darkness.”

The darkness? Strong Helper will be?! No!

“Then hurry and tell me, Alexandria! How can I awaken Strong Helper’s soul?! How can I save Strong Helper from the encroaching darkness?!”

That darn crow smiled ever wider. Unnaturally so as I continued asking more questions - asking for more help.

“You already know how, Master. Like how everyone awakens and responds to their name, call out to Strong Helper, Master. Call out to her soul. Call her name while using mana.”

I glanced at Strong Helper. I called her name many times already. Shouted at her - screamed at her to get up, I desperately did. But to no avail, Strong Helper did not stand up.

Call Strong Helper, but with mana?

I wished with all the mana in my heart, flowing and circulating through my belly. Every mote of mana within my being responded to my call, coming alive as I wished Strong Helper to live once more.

“Strong Helper,” I spoke.

All the mana inside me shook, rattling my stomach and everyone inside. My voice echoed with authority. I called Strong Helper’s name, and my voice seeped into Strong Helper’s dead body. Desperation rippled from my voice, slipping past my deceased creation’s skin and delving deeper and deeper, moving past the stiff, cold flesh and frozen blood. Finally, my calling poked the depths of Strong Helper’s unconscious soul.

My calling forced Strong Helper awake.

Gasped, Strong Helper did. A semitransparent image of Strong Helper jerked up from her dead body, sitting upright while she looked around with wide confused eyes. However, strangely, her ghostly form looked smaller than her body.

Why? Shrunk, Strong Helper did.

“Master? Master! Huh? What-“ Strong Helper jerked her head from side to side, but when she saw her dead corpse from the corner of her eye she shrieked.

“GAHHH! Who-? No. No. Who that? Me? Me?! Why? How?! Master! Master! Something wrong! Me on the ground! But me not! Something wrong with Strong Helper! Help, Master! Help!”

Strong Helper broke down in utter shock. Her spirit jumped up from her body and frantically scrambled away on all fours. Crawling close to my heart, I tried to calm Strong Helper.

“Strong Helper. I will save you. Be at ease. Do not worry. I will not let the darkness take you.”

My words helped soothe Strong Helper’s distraught soul. “Me scared, Master. What happened, Master?”

“Fear not, Strong Helper. Wait there for now. Reborn, you will be. Alexandria! What next?!”

The crow hopped to the side of Strong One’s ethereal foot. She slowly walked towards my heart - lightly tapping from her claws on the rocky floor as she dragged her book with yanking, shuffling movements.

“Ugh. Oh, the pleasantries of being a partial soul. I almost got squished by an Ogre’s ghostly foot. How morbid that would be.”

The crow's beady red eyes scanned over Strong Helper, stopping and fixating on Strong Helper’s chest.

“Greetings, Strong Helper. I am Alexandria, Bastille of Knowledge. Even in death, with your soul and experience reduced from dying, your chest remains heavily endowed. Those jugglers must be quite the inconvenience when not used for amorous purposes.”

“Bird? Talking?” Strong Helper asked while tilting her head and looking down at the crow.

“Alexandria, I asked what is next!”

“Ah! Of course, Master. Forgive my unseemingly behavior. It is difficult not to be distracted by such a bosom that hangs down in your face.”

Alexandria then looked at my other bare-skinned creations and sighed.

Shaking her head, Alexandria added, “There is much work and education to be done. The male Ogres need blankets to make loincloths. Their delicate bits need to be covered. We cannot go frightening the outside world with such massive indecency. Self-awareness must be taught to these uncivilized brutes.”

Strong One scoffed. “Why hide? Strong do not hide.”

Alexandria pulled her neck back with scorn. “Crude Ogre, your tiny brain cannot fathom embarrassment. Such is your weakness.”

“Brain not needs. Onlys big muscles!”

“How distastefully Ogre-like,” Alexandria said while rolling her eyes. “Why am I arguing with a burly creature with a rock as a brain?”

Alexandria tilted her head back and looked up at my heart.

“Ahem! Dungeon Master, you now have to insulate Strong Helper’s soul with mana to keep her from fading away. The longer a soul is removed from the body, the more it forgets. With death, a creature’s level will decrease. Their souls, in turn, are reduced in size.”

“To stop further degradation, wrap your mana around Strong Helper, similarly to how you bound me with the threads of mana. Then build a new living container for Strong Helper. The new body can be bigger but never smaller than the size of her current soul. Reborn souls that are mostly intact must fit their bodies, else they go berserk or become handicapped.”

“So build a new living body for Strong Helper, right?”

“Yes. I recommend consuming her old body to not only save on mana but to also build a new form that Strong Helper will be familiar with.”

I understood.

Focused, I did. Focused on the small motes of mana in between my walls. They insulated and coursed through the walls lining my belly. Pulled my mana, one mote by one mote, surrounding and enveloping Strong Helper in a thin layer of shimmering golden mana.

“Warm, Master. Me colds no more.”

“Peculiar. Gold-colored mana? From a Dungeon.”

Alexandria made no sense, but glad I was that Strong Helper was warm and happy. She deserved to be. She helped me - warmed me - when I struggled.

I will save you, Strong Helper.

The ground beneath Strong Helper’s deceased body sank as a growing hole opened up. I swallowed Strong Helper’s old body whole and into the darkness of my stomach. Slowly, I felt the lines and curves of her body.

Remember, I must. Remember the shape of Strong Helper’s body.

[Notification]

Extracted the body of a previous creation.

2 mana absorbed from Mana Breathing.

10 mana absorbed from the consumed body.

Available mana:

16/40

I pulled the accumulated mana from my heart, drawing out ten mana to form Strong Helper’s body once more.

[Notification]

Skill Create Creature is being evoked.

I used the details of Strong Helper’s old body, pooling my mana into a ball as I molded and forged Strong Helper’s new form. Meticulously, I worked paying close attention to weave a sturdier body for Strong Helper. Thicker skin. Larger feet. Less of a chest. And stronger muscles. No more, did I want to see Strong Helper die before my eyes.

[Notification]

Unique modifications are being added to the standard Ogre build.

5 additional mana required.

Use 5 mana to complete the additional changes?

(Yes) (No)

Warning: Selecting ‘No’ will create an incomplete creature. Odd/interesting mutations can occur, or the creature may perish prematurely or entirely.

“Yes, of course, Yellow Screen!”

Hot steam erupted from the growing ball of mana that I used to mold Strong Helper’s body. A fog burst forth and covered the area as the last bit of muscle and skin formed and covered the body. Within the white smoke, the muffled thumping of the heart could be heard as it began to beat and pump blood. Soon the steam cooled and faded away, revealing Strong Helper’s new body that stood motionless in front of me.

Similar, yet different, Strong Helper’s new body was. More slender than before, it was. Less fat and lighter overall. I built Strong Helper’s new body to be sturdier, but more importantly, faster. Faster to move away from potentially crumbling caverns.

“Quick, Dungeon Master! Place the Strong Helper’s soul inside her new body. Stitch the two together with your mana! Time is of the essence. Many strange or unnatural things can happen to a soulless body!”

I rushed, hearing Alexandria’s urgent beckoning. Anxiety washed over me as if something bad would happen again to Strong Helper. I would not allow anything to harm Strong Helper’s new body.

“Bear with me, Strong Helper.” I said, commanding my mana as it yanked Strong Helper’s soul toward her new body.

All the darkness inside my chamber ran away - chased away by a burst of golden light. The motes of my mana encasing Strong Helper’s soul touched her new body, and all inside my chamber glowed and shimmered. Strong Helper’s soul resonated with my imbued mana used to form her body.

Strong Helper’s soul was suddenly sucked in, pulled in without my help. Strong Helper was welcomed back. Her soul entered her new body as if returning home. And I sealed the act, weaving the motes of my mana encasing Strong Helper into her body.

[Notification]

New skill obtained!

Re-spawn Creature LVL 1