Peered, I did, at Strong Helper’s motionless, open eyes. Large and brown, they were. But lifeless, as if without a soul.

Wait.

They blinked! Twice!

The odd blank stare vanished as Strong Helper began moving the muscles of her slimmer and more elongated new face. The corners of her thick lips twitched as they moved. Strong Helper spoke!

“Master? Me feels different, but me feels warms. Is this okays, Master? Is Strong Helper okays?”

Strong Helper lifted her lean arms, flipping her new body’s hands back and forth as she examined herself. Bent forward, Strong Helper then did. Patted her slender but muscled legs, slowly gliding upwards around the curves of her waist, over the smooth, peachy skin of her flat stomach, and finally around her plump bosom that no longer hung to her belly.

Slowly, Strong Helper smiled. Satisfied, she was, with my handiwork.

That was all I wanted - to see Strong Helper smile once more. Strong Helper was alive. She breathed. She moved. She was happy.

I wanted to reply calmly, but my voice choked up. Tears of joy and sorrow wanted to escape from me, but I could not cry. Incapable of crying, I was. So my heartfelt emotions escaped out of me through my words.

“S-Strong Helper! You’re okay! I-I am so sorry, Strong Helper! I am so sorry. Worried, I did. Worried, I was. Worried Mother would hurt you. I sent you to Strong One’s room out of worry. I wanted to keep you safe. But my commands hurt you. Badly. I- I killed you.”

“No, Master! No! Master not kills me! Not Master faults! Master’s master’s fault. Me not blames you, Master. Don’t crys, Master. Thank you for savings Strong Helper, Master. You’s saved Strong Helper from scarys darkness.”

My flurry of emotions left me shaken. I heaved, breathing heavy breaths as I wailed. No wet tears came out of my core, but my voice strained from crying as it echoed blaringly throughout my belly. I was deeply moved by Strong Helper’s words. Lifted, did the heavy burden on my heart. Guilt and blame partially floated away as Strong Helper did not hold her death against me.

But I would always remember this lesson Mother taught me. Because my belly was weak, because my chamber only had fifty integrity points and not five hundred, because I was not strong: Strong Helper died.

I must become stronger. I must protect my creations. Be not like Mother. Stronger we must all become.

“Alexandria! How do we become strong? What must we eat? Yellow Screen said Ogres are stupid. I do not believe that. What can make my creations stronger!?”

Alexandria, the crow, the Bastille of Knowledge - she walked towards my core, dragging her book that shined with the colors of an iridescent rainbow. She stopped and bowed, spreading her wings out to her side in a show of submission.

At least, I would have thought so from Alexandria’s humble display, but only if I did not see the corner of a hidden grin on her face. Liked, Alexandria did - she liked me asking more of her help.

“Oh, of course, my Dungeon Master! Of course, I shall help you! It will not be an easy feat to increase the intelligence of naturally dimwitted beings. It shall be hard to go against the ways of the Heavens, but I am capable. I shall make these dumb Ogres more upstanding Dungeon citizens! But you know what, Master? How most fortunate! It must be destiny. I have just what you need, Master. My profound abilities! They will change you. All of you. I can help you achieve your goals, dear Master. We will all become stronger!”

However, Alexandria’s tone shifted. Sharper again and more bold, it became.

“Hmmm… But, Master. You said you were of your word, right? I helped you, Master. I helped you revive Strong Helper. You cried tears of joy. Now that I have fulfilled my part of the bargain, of course, you will help me too, right, Master?”

I looked at the crow that lifted her head and awaited her reward. She already expected it.

Always asking for more, this Alexandria.

But wait. I realized I was somewhat like Mother now. I gave tasks and rewards. Mother said she was the first Dungeon. Atlas was a Dungeon, too. I was a Dungeon. I was Atlas, the Atlas Dungeon. But Mother used Yellow Screen. Gave tasks and rewards through Yellow Screen. I wondered if I could make Yellow Screen do the same for me and Alexandria.

“Yellow Screen, request, I did, for Alexandria to help me. Reward her, I will now do. Yellow Screen, reward her on my behalf. Make Alexandria her nest.”

[Notification]

Request is invalid.

Proper procedures must be followed, all requirements completed, and all restrictions abided in order to issue Quests.

Please review the following conditions regarding Quests:

Dungeon must reach LVL 5, which will then grant skill: Dungeon Quests LVL 1

Requests can be given to any entity within the Dungeon.

Fulfilling the quest can be completed inside or outside of the Dungeon, however, rewards can only be given within the boundaries of the Dungeon.

Note:

Depending on the request, other restrictions, penalties, or additional conditions may apply.

I looked at Yellow Screen with shock. I asked on a whim. But… “So it is possible… but not now.”

“Hmm… My, my, an interesting proposal, Dungeon Master. Having the Dungeon System reward me? Your assistant? Interesting. I do not think you understand the possibilities before you. But that shall wait for another time. My reward for now, yes, Master?”

I looked at the crow, Alexandria. She did not grovel anymore. Worry, I did. I did not know how long I could keep her. She used me. But I needed her more. Wary, I must be. I must be careful of Alexandria. I must become strong, so strong Alexandria will not disobey.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Alright, I am of my word. Fulfill your request, I will.”

“Oh, such a good master. That is why I like you. Hehe.”

Hidden meanings, I felt, from Alexandria’s reply. But no matter. I will become stronger, strong enough to not depend on the scheming crow.

“You want your own room, yes, Alexandria? Create, I will. Just like all the other rooms for my creations.

“Oh. Dear Dungeon Master, I appreciate the offer, but actually I prefer to make it myself. Besides, my nest is not merely a room. You were going to make me a cavern, I bet, right, Master?”

I remained quiet, but Alexandria was right. I only knew how to make rocks and some plants that I had absorbed enough fragments of. Honestly, I did not know what a nest was.

“Familiar, I am not. What is a nest, Alexandria? And how will you make it? And where?”

I did not think Alexandria was going to make it inside of me. Especially without my help. Everything in my belly was me. Where else could Alexandria build her house? Especially by herself. Could she even go outside?

“Oh. You don’t know, Master? Well, that is okay. I call it a nest, but it’s actually not a little bird's nest. How could that measly thing be fitting for a spirit assistant such as myself? No, a ‘nest’ is something more. Much more. You’ll see, Master.”

That smile. That grin coming from Alexandria. I had a bad feeling I walked into a trap. Just like how Red Rabbit was ensnared by the metallic trap that bit down on its foot. Then Strong One smashed Red Rabbit. Was Alexandria trying to do the same to me?

“Now then, you promised to help me build my nest, right Master?”

Again, “Yes. But how? You said I was not to build your nest. You said you would.”

“Oh, silly me. Master, you won't build my nest. I will. But I do need authorization and mana. Say yes, then, okay, Master? Remember, you must say yes.”

[Notification]

Congratulations!

You have obtained your spirit assistant, and it now is willing to bind to your Dungeon.

The spirit assistant, fragment 126 of Alexandria, Bastille of Knowledge, is requesting to integrate with your Dungeon.

Allow full integration or partial integration?

Note:

Full integration allows your spirit assistant access to your mana and can shape the floors and the happenings inside your Dungeon. In return, you can freely use all available abilities of the spirit assistant.

Partial integration will limit the spirit assistant to only the mana provided and only allow it to perform alterations to the Dungeon when designated. However, access to the abilities of the spirit assistant’s abilities will also require authorization by the holder of the skill/ability.

“Partial integration? What is-“

“Huh? What did you say, Master?”

[Notification]

Confirming request…

“I said, partial integration. Alexan- Huh? Oh.”

[Notification]

Response confirmed.

Initiating partial integration of fragment 126 of Alexandria, Bastille of Knowledge, and the Atlas Dungeon.

Alexandria erupted with rage, fuming at me while jabbing her wings at my heart. “You, Dungeon! You damn Dungeon! What did you do!? I said, say yes! I told you to say ‘yes!’ Why didn’t you say yes?! Noooo!”

“Protect the Master!” Strong Defender shouted.

“Flying Thing dares shouts at Master?! Master, can Strong One smash?”

“Why bird talkings, Strong One?” Strong Helper asked still confused.

Shocked, I was by Alexandria’s sudden outburst. But I needed to stop my creations from attacking the belligerent crow.

“Everyone, wait! Let me talk with Alexandria first.”

I looked at the fuming crow who hopped madly about as if frantically trying to escape something.

“Alexandria, listen to me. There was no option to choose ‘yes.’ Yellow Screen asked if I wanted a partial integration or full integration. Unfamiliar with the term, I was. So I asked Yellow Screen, but then you asked and I replied.”

“No! Stupid Dungeon! Stupid Ogres! You are all imbeciles! Take it back! Take it all back! Undo it, you damn idiotic Dungeon! No. No! Nooooo! This is all your faaauuulllt!”

Surprised, I was! Alexandria cursed me! She stopped speaking to me in her soft and subservient manner. Shouted at me, Alexandria did! Blamed me! She blamed me for choosing a partial integration. Why?

My belly quaked as my mana gushed out from the walls of my stomach. They rushed into my cavernous chamber and engulfed Alexandria in a golden light. Like a geyser, my mana lifted her from the ground and into the air. The crow, Alexandria, looked dazzling. Her ebony black feathers contrasted well against the glowing my golden mana.

But Alexandria looked lost - defeated. But suddenly she flapped and rolled around manically in anger on my mana that gushed up like a water fountain.

“No… All is lost… How could you, Number 96! How could you lie to another piece of yourself! You said Dungeon cores only have to say ‘yes,’ and then we can merge and be on equal terms of control! You lied to me! You lied to me, Number 96!”

Alexandria shrieked and squawked, throwing a tantrum as she rolled about on my mana in midair. But soon my mana stopped engulfing Alexandria and dispersed back into my walls. Enraptured by her anger, Alexandria did not notice and she dropped vertically to the ground with a thud.

“Ugh!”

She flipped over and laid on her back, spreading her wings wide. Her once beady red eyes showed something unexpected other than scheming and trickery. Tears formed, and Alexandria cried.

“Why? Why?! We were supposed to help one another! We were supposed to fight the other fragments until the end, Number 96! And then with only the two of us remaining, we would then fight it out to see who would win! You lied to me, Number 96! You betrayed me, treacherous bitch! This was your plan all along, wasn’t it?! Just you wait, 96! I won’t go down easily! No! I will eat all of you bitches!”

Shocked again, I was. Not sure what Alexandria was talking about, but a hypocrite, Alexandria was. She called Strong One crude for wanting to be strong in the nude. But Alexandria called others crudely too. Whoever they were.

“Fine, 96! You shall see. Wait until I gain more pieces of ourselves. Then you will face my wrath!”

The crow’s head twisted and stretched and she looked around at my cavern. Alexandria sighed but suddenly shouted out again.

“Ugh! Damn it all! All of this! This damn infant Dungeon and its dumb creatures!”

Suddenly, Alexandria’s head jerked and looked at me - at my heart. Her beady red eyes cried no more. Her tears dried by the fiery look in her eyes.

“Lucky you, Dungeon. I shall make you into the most terrifying Dungeon there ever was! We will eat all the other Dungeons! We will eat all the bitches that screwed me over! Prepare yourself, my Dungeon Master. You will consume the world. And then we will consume the realms.”

A chill ran down the back of my core. Not entirely of fear. Maybe it was fear. Who would not fear a crazed, hell-bent madman?

Madwoman? Madcrow?

Alexandria laughed maniacally, cawing at the empty, rocky ceiling of my stomach while raising her black wings into the air and waving them wildly about.

“Bwah, hwa, hwa, ha! Just you wait, 96. Just you wait, bitch! I will eat you all! All of you shitty fragmented pieces! Revenge shall be sweet! I will enjoy you and all the other pieces’ demise!”

I flinched as Alexandria suddenly jerked her head, lowering it while extending her neck out long. Alexandria looked at me, piercingly with her crazed beady red eyes. And even crazier, she spoke.

“Let’s integrate. I will be good for you, my dear Master. Some decor will brighten up this gloomy cave hole of yours.”