Much to say, Yellow Screen had.
Too much - I could not follow. Too many boxes. Too much information.
Where do I start?
But for now, I only wanted one thing: quests.
Dungeon quests.
Quests to strengthen my creations, just like how rewards from quests strengthened me!
“Yellow Screen! I said, show me Dungeon Quests!”
[Notification]
Request acknowledged.
Displaying results…
[Status Page] [Quest Page] [Extractions Page]
[Dungeon Floor Page]
Please select an option to view more.
{Personal Quests Pending Completion}
{Personal Quests Completed}
{Quests Personally Issued}
{Completed Quests Personally Issued}
I pondered, unsure of the tongue twister given as an answer to my request.
Tongue twister? What?
Yes. Twisted. Everything Yellow Screen showed sounded exactly the same.
“Yellow Screen! No, show me how to give quests! I want to give quests, just like Mother!”
[Notification]
Examining added parameters…
Results narrowed.
Executing request…
Displaying…
{Quests Personally Issued}
Requires Skill: Dungeon Quests
Evoking skill: Dungeon Quests LVL 1…
First time use of skill detected.
Per Hive Mother’s request, a one-time explanation of the skill will now be given. Replaying Hive Mother’s message…
“Oh-! Oh. Oh. It is Mother.”
By reflex, at first, the sound of Mother’s voice made me happy. Yet, now it only leaves a lingering bittersweet taste.
“Good children, tis We, Hive Mother. We congratulate thee. Thou hast gone farther on thy path. Most of thee can now understandeth us. Thy levels increased, and thine experience and interactions wilst only continue growing thee. And now, thou hast made thy first steps towards becoming a true Dungeon.”
I wanted to turn away - look away. Pout. No, scowl. Yet, I glanced back from the corner of my eye, my core, waiting to hear more of Mother.
Deny, I could not.
Regardless of my disappointment, deep down, I still wanted the warmth of Mother’s voice and her cheering words. They melted some of the deep, hard feelings I had against Mother. My grudge - it wavered. I wished Mother was more kind. I wished she cared for me like how I cared for my creations. I wished she told me I was a good child. I yearned for Mother’s care - for Mother’s love.
Love? Can Mother even love?
Stop! Remind myself, I must! Mother killed Strong Helper. Mother did not care about hurting me - about breaking my guilty heart - about ripping open my belly. I could not trust Mother!
Hurt more, I did, from being let down.
But could I? Could I hope just a little? Just a tiny, tiny-
No, Atlas! No!
I faltered. Mother’s sweet words easily crumbled my guard. Like any child, I yearned to earn Mother’s praise. I wanted to be patted on the head, if I had one. I wanted to be hugged. I wanted my Mother.
Can I not?
No. I cannot. Like the shattered walls of my belly that Mother destroyed, in this moment, I rebuilt my fallen guard and hardened my heart. I would not so easily let Mother sway me this time. Trust cannot be so easily reforged like the walls of my belly.
Mother continued speaking, and this time, I did not bother her. I did not ask questions. I refrained from desiring Mother’s endearment. Lesson learned.
“We shalt impart some wisdom onto thee, children. We shalt first tell thee a story. A part of Our story.”
My ears did not follow my refusal to listen to Mother - to reject Mother. My ears disobeyed my will and perked up and listened.
Mother’s story - it must not be a pleasant story. Mother raised her voice. The bitter sound from thousands of voices gnashing their teeth sharply echoed in my chamber.
“As the origin of Dungeons, We, thy mother, thy creator, We wast formed by the will of Ancients to be a mere guard. We wast made to be nothing but a caretaker, a protector, of the Divine’s secrets and their treasures. The Ancients ordered Us to house and defend against all ye who desired their belongings. And not knowing any better, We did and obliged. But the young version of Ourselves could not fight against invaders who rivaled gods. In the end, We wast nearly destroyed - almost disposed of into Purgatory. The Ancients abandoned Us. Left Us for dead. Their enemies nearly killedeth Us.”
Mother paused. I sensed the heavy, murderous weight of Mother’s frigid emotions hidden in the tense silence before she continued.
“But We survived,” Mother grievously said with a hiss, but she resentfully snarled out her next sentence. “And We swore vengeance.”
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“On the fringes of death, We fought heart, core, and soul, frantically holding onto the mana that slippeth’d out of Us. We resisted the darkness of Purgatory. We did not die. And now, all ye who harmed Us shalt pay! We shalt consume the Ancients and their foes! We shalt devour the Realms created by the gods who abandoned Us! Join Us, my children. We shalt eat all.”
I did not know what to think. Mother - her past was more than I understood. Complicated. Surprised, I was. Mother, too, had a creator! And her creator left her for dead. Yet, Mother… You too killed my creature and left me to fend for myself. Why? Why follow the same actions that haunt you?
All of Mother left me feeling conflicted. I found irony in Mother’s words. She was abandoned, hurt, and on the brink of death. But survived, Mother did. And now she wanted revenge. But I wondered to what extent. How far would Mother go? Mother hurt me like her creator who hurt her. Does she not know she is making another vicious cycle?
Mother does not care. She is too consumed with vengeance.
“Listen well, my children. We paved Our own path by defying the gods and gaining partial authority over one of their Divine Treasures: The Universe System. The treasure ist currently unfathomable by thee newly formed Dungeons of mine. But knowest tis like a cosmic brain consisting of an entire Realm. Many paths exist for thee to become strong. One tis by relying on Our fragment of the Universe System: The Dungeon System. Should thee choose, thy next step is’t to use the authority of the System now granted to thee to become stronger.”
Mother finally began to explain the details of my new skill: Dungeon Quests.
“Remember, we Dungeons must eat to grow. Quests art meant to fulfill that purpose. And anything that enters our belly tis fair game. Quests vary, depending but art broken into four general categories: Growth, Conquest, Ruling, and Miscellaneous. For the level one skill, thy choices will be limited by preset quests available to be given. Thine objective tis to familiarize thyself with the requirements to issue quests and how they can fulfill thy needs. More autonomy wilst be granted upon leveling up the skill. Follow and review thy screen. Figure thine own path. Strength can only be obtained by thine own efforts.”
[Notification]
Message end.
{Quests Personally Issued}
Note:
Select the desired category of quests to be given. Due to the level of Skill: Dungeon Quests LVL 1, available quests will be limited. Further restrictions and requirements will be explained when selecting quests to be issued. Depending on the recipient of the quest, parameters will be listed differently.
I was left seesawing on how I felt about Mother. Ultimately, I did not know what to think of Mother. Refute, I could not, that Mother brought benefits from what she offered. The rewards Mother provided proved so. But the intentions behind those benefits, I questioned. Complicated, everything was.
Now, even more so.
Quest types? And only pre-established ones will be available? So I cannot simply choose to give out a quest of my own discretion?
No. Mother said as the level grows I can do more as I please. Teaching me, Mother was. It was Mother’s own way of caring. But did Mother truly care at all? Conflicted, I was.
Confused, as well, in many ways.
Yellow Screen… Who are you? Mother called you a treasure of the Divines - a fragment of the Universe System. Are you broken like me? If so, where did you come from? Who made you? What are you?
Endless questions, I had. But no answers to any. There was much information to understand. Maybe one day, I shall find out.
For now, focus, I must. I must focus on what I can do. Not on what I cannot. And what I can focus on is growth, growing and making my creations stronger!
“Yellow Screen! Show me the available growth quests!”
[Notification]
Request acknowledged.
Displaying quests available for skill:
Dungeon Quests LVL 1
{Quests Personally Issued}
Foundation Basics - Stats - Series Quest 1
Stats represent the numerical evaluation for any given creature. But stats are not static. They can be improved upon. Increasing your creatures’ stats can enhance and improve their capabilities. Or vice versa.
Quest Requirements:
When giving this quest to a Dungeon Creature, select a specific desired stat to increase. An objective task or tasks for the Dungeon Creature is/are required. The task can be any known form of training, but must result in an increase of stats. Rewards and punishments are not necessarily required for quests made to Dungeon Creatures. However, incentives can help better motivate them.
Restrictions:
Limited to Dungeon Creatures only.
Note: Hive Mother recommends all base stats for Dungeon Creatures to be at a bare minimum of 5-15, depending on species. But Hive Mother highly encourages specialization for better advantages and results. Mutations and breaking race and lineage limitations are highly desired.
Those Who Fight - One Time Quest (Repeatable)
Actual fighting experience is the best teacher for Dungeon Creatures. Weeding out the weak is necessary to make room for the strong. Test your creatures. Make them learn the hard way by bathing them in a bloody battle. Grit, character, and mindset will be obtained for those who survive. Those lucky might even learn or imitate the skills of their foes. Or die trying in the process. Such is the fate of Dungeon Creatures.
Quest Requirements:
Guide your prey to hone your creatures. Issue quests to outsiders who enter your Dungeon. Designate a specific creature or creatures whom you desire to be tested. Make them fight. Throw them into a life or death battle. If the outsiders win, rewards can be given. If the outsiders perish, food will be prepared.
The bodies of Dungeon Creatures rot quickly due to their creation from pure mana. However, when decomposing in a Dungeon and not recycled, their essence will naturally congeal and form mana crystals that are highly desired. Give the victor their spoils. They will come again. Eat them after they have spread word.
However, entice your prey even more. The purpose of quests given to outsiders is not to benefit them but to bring the Dungeon benefit. Although not necessary, state rewards when giving quests and provide additional dropped items or specialized loot. More prey will be drawn in by their greed. Treasure Boxes, in this case, are highly encouraged.
Restrictions:
Limited to only external entities outside of the Dungeon.
Note:
Caution must be taken. The death of too many creatures who protect the Dungeon will ultimately lead to the demise of the Dungeon entity.
(Press to see more available quests)
I did not ask Yellow Screen to see more. Think, I did. Again, Yellow Screen showed me much information. Yet, I barely scratched the surface. The second available quest option did not appeal to me. Avoid battle, I wanted. My heart had yet to fully mend from when Strong Helper died. What if another of my creations dies?
But what if my creations die regardless?
Was it like Yellow Screen said? Was it the fate of my Dungeon and my creations?
To grow strong, we must eat others. But others will also come for us.
My guts churned. The walls of my stomach tightened with unease. A bad feeling, I sensed, crawled on the back of my core. Yellow Screen implied others are bound to come into my belly. I would not have to go searching for trouble. Trouble would find me. Just like Green Eyes.
Prepare, I must! Strengthen my creations, I must! And so quests, I will give!
“Strong One! I now have a new power! Yellow Screen will now listen to me! Help you, Yellow Screen will! Help you grow stronger! Heed my quest, Strong One! Do and complete Yellow Screen’s requests, and you will become stronger!”
“Yes, Master! Strong One listen! Strong One happys! But… Master. Me no knows whats Yellow Screen says.”
I momentarily paused, blanking from Strong One’s surprising statement.
“Huh? What do you mean, Strong One? You can read Yellow Screen, right?”
“Read? Master means eats? Eats Yellow Screen?”
Crap.
Another dilemma, I had. My creations were illiterate.
Wait, does that mean I am not? How? I cannot write… wait. Can I? I don’t know.
“Alexandria! Help!”
I quickly lowered my voice. That sly crow. A scheme gleamed in her eye.
“Oh! My, my. Aren’t I very popular these days, dear Dungeon Master? What is it that you need, Master? What can I assist you with? Hopefully, I can be of help. We must help each other, yes, Master?”