Learned.

Learned, I did.

I learned the hard way that those who are caught unprepared are the most vulnerable. And during times of great peril, those most vulnerable die.

My first near-death experience with Green Eyes taught me a valuable lesson. Being caught by the unknown and taken by surprise almost led to my heart being eaten by the creepy, tentacled-nose monster.

Because I did not know, because I was unprepared, Green Eyes crawled too close to my heart. With its jagged two front teeth, Green Eyes chomped down on my heart and chipped my core. Gripping pain tore through my being. My core integrity plummeted. I nearly died. Deported back to Purgatory, I almost was.

However, not this time.

This time, I knew better. This time, I was not prey but predator. This time, I must prepare. And not only for Green Eyes. Prepare, I must, for the coming unknown.

Soon.

But for now, I could only focus on luring in Green Eyes. This time, only Green Eyes will be caught unprepared. Only Green Eyes will die and be eaten - eaten by me and my creations.

Green Eyes will not have to come for me. I will be coming for Green Eyes.

“Strong Helper! Strong Defender! Hear me! Plan, we must! Prepare yourselves!” I declared to my creations through our mental connection.

“Yes, Master!” Strong Defender shouted with a loud, spirited voice that echoed in his cavernous room.

“Yes, Mas- Oof!” Strong Helper half acknowledged my commands before walking straight into the side of the rocky entrance of Strong Defender’s room with a rumbling thunk.

The supposed slaughter of Green Eyes had yet to begin, but I already faced one major obstacle. With the rearrangements of my stomach, the distant light of the outside world did not reach the depths of Strong Defender’s room, which now split and veered to the side from the main pathway. What little, reflected remnants of light coming through the curved passageway barely gave the chamber a dim glow. Everything was practically dark.

Think, I did. I needed to resolve the issue with the lack of sight before battle could begin.

How do I help my creations see Green Eyes in the dark? The Internal Awareness skill, my creations did not have. Then how can I help my creations fight?

Nothing came to mind. None of my available blueprints proved useful for my current predicament. Light, I could not make, to help my creatures better see. Green Eyes did not need light to fight. Green Eyes relied on its sense of smell. My creations, who needed light to see, would be at a disadvantage.

Think. How can my creations see in the darkness of my belly? Wait. They could see. They did see. In my chamber only, that is.

In the darkness of my belly, there was only one place that held light.

“Eldor’s lights,” I unconsciously said.

“Eldor, Master?” Strong Defender said with a tilt of his head.

“Yes. The lights that Alexandria brought forth from her book. The ones floating near the ceiling in my chamber. Strong Defender, go back to my chamber. Tell Alexandria to give you Eldor’s Lights. Bring some of them here. Should she refuse, tell the crow our next agreement will not be so easy for her.”

“Yes, Master!” Strong Defender replied with a shout before extending his hands in front of him and feeling his way back to my chamber through the darkness.

Resolved one problem, I did. But frustrated still, I was. Planning. I needed to plan for the fight against Green Eyes, but how? How do I prepare?

Deep in thought, I recalled my previous encounters with Green Eyes.

What do I know about Green Eyes?

Small, Green Eyes was. Maybe two-thirds the size of Strong One’s leg. Thick, fuzzy hide, it had. But not strong enough to defend against a smash or stomp from my creations. One strike from my Ogre’s massive fists, and Green Eyes instantly died.

But four legged, Green Eyes was. Green Eyes was fast, capable of slipping past my slower creations.

Yet, the most troublesome thing about Green Eyes was its nose. The tentacled nose twitched in the air, and Green Eyes scurried straight to my heart. Knew exactly where my core was located, Green Eyes always did. Green Eyes honed in on my core, lured in by the alluring smell.

Green Eyes would always come straight for my heart. Therefore, I must block Green Eyes’s path. Not only that, but I must slow and delay Green Eyes so my slower creations can attack.

Regardless. Green Eyes must be kept away from my core.

My plan was made. But it would be a gamble. I had a few limited chances due to my available mana.

“Strong Helper, stay near the entrance of Strong Defender's room to Strong One’s room. I must bring forth my plan.”

“Okays, Master. Me stays here’s.”

I nodded with a smile at my obedient creation. But seeing my adorable, re-spawned creation hugging the rocky entrance, a protective feeling gushed out from me. I was trying to obtain food for us, but I must take precautions. I needed to succeed but reduce the risk of my creations being injured. No more, did I want to face, seeing their cold and unmoving bodies.

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I focused on my plan.

Using my Internal Awareness skill, I observed the barren chamber in my belly, mentally laying out the pieces of my plan.

Strong Defender’s room was mostly circular, with the exception of some obtuse sides and protruding rocks that slightly caved in or out. I looked far at the opposite end of the barren cavern near the entrance coming from the outside world.

Slightly to the side of the entryway - that would be where I will make a protrusion to lure in Green Eyes.

This time Green Eyes could not come straight for my heart. I would block Green Eyes's path with a short maze.

A maze?

Yes, a maze. Something I knew but didn’t know how.

“Yellow Screen! How much mana do I have?”

[Notification]

Request acknowledged.

Available Mana:

31/40

“An increase of two mana? Probably from the Mana Breathing Skill.”

Perfect. The more mana, the better.

Focused, I did, on the tiny golden motes flowing in between my walls.

My darkness rumbled.

My total available mana diminished by nine. But that was okay. I needed a foolproof plan.

I commanded my mana and clumped them into rocks. But not only rocks. Iron. Green Eyes detested iron. And so, I condensed parts of my mana, pushing and packing them tighter together, hardening them into iron, and fusing the iron ore into the rocks that formed walls that grew from the floor of my belly. I kept the walls short, about half as tall as Strong Helper.

Green Eyes was good at digging and scurrying on its belly but not at hopping over walls.

The first set of walls blocked the entrance coming from the outside world and connected to the point on the side of my belly where I would open a hole to lure in Green Eyes.

Green Eyes would have no room for escape.

The next set of walls formed parallel to the first, creating a narrow passage that barely fit my creations. It was fine because their goal was to kill Green Eyes, but only after Green Eyes was caught in Trap Snare.

That’s right! Trap Snare! Everything was a trap! My plan was to trap Green Eyes! And once trapped, there was no escape. Welcome to my belly, Green Eyes.

The narrow passage meandered tightly like compact intestines. Green Eyes could only crawl towards its doom the further it went through the passage.

“Master! I am back! I apologize for the delay. The crow was not easy to convince.”

“Thank you, Strong Defender. I am sure the crow was being difficult. You did well, Strong Defender. Let me hang Eldor’s lights while you and Strong Helper get into position and prepare for battle.”

Strong Defender took a step and stopped as I tried to figure out how to float the orbs of light to the ceiling of my belly.

“What is this, Master? Where do you want me to go?”

“Ah! Apologies, Strong Defender! I turned your room into a maze. I will revert your room back after our excursion with Green Eyes.”

“A maze, Master?”

“Yes, a maze, Strong Defender. It is a network of narrow paths meant to confuse and trap those inside. Although what I created is not a true maze, as it is simply a long winding path, my little present will trap Green Eyes well.”

“Ah! Haha! I understand, Master! Where should I be in this twisting path?”

“Go all the way to the front, towards the beginning of the path, but stay at the opposite end where the walls meet my belly. Trap Snares will be laid. Exactly five of them along the path in front of you. Wait until they all catch a Green Eyes. Then move in for the kill.”

“And me, Master?” Strong Helper chimed in.

“Your role is extremely important, Strong Helper. Your new form, I designed it to be faster and more nimble. Therefore, you shall stay towards the end of the maze. A few Trap Snares will be laid in the middle of the maze and hopefully some at the end. Your objective is to kill any Green Eyes that escape past Strong Defender.”

“Okays, Master! Me smash Fuzzy Thing with fists!”

“Alright, everyone. Get into position. I will then create Trap Snares. Be careful not to get caught in them!”

“Yes, Master!” My creations acknowledged with a shout.

Soon, Green Eyes. Soon I will no longer tremble at your name. You shall fear me, and I shall no longer fear you.

I would have to ask the crow later how she got Eldor’s Lights to float in the air on their own. For now, I strung the orbs of light with mana and illuminated the cavern with a soft blue glow.

Seeing my creations in place, I reminded them one last time. “Alright! Be sure to avoid Trap Snare, my creations! Prepare yourselves! Soon we shall feast! I will now open a hole and lure in Green Eyes!”

Strong Defender lowered his stance and braced himself for combat. Strong Helper happily smashed her fists together, excited for some action.

My available mana reduced by eighteen, leaving four mana. But in return, six Trap Snares sprouted and extended out from the middle of the walls. Five in the passage in front of Strong Defender, and one in front of Strong Helper.

Trap Snare was being put to use.

Each of the six thin pieces of metal formed one large loop, created by being threaded through their opposite ends that were curled into a small, circular opening. The large loop extended to the other side of the wall, clinging to the walls of the passage like webs - waiting to seize unsuspecting prey. The unsuspecting that was Green Eyes.

Trap snare was like a noose, ready to wrap and tighten around the necks of Green Eyes who slipped through.

“Get ready, my creations. I shall now open a hole in my belly.”

The room was silent, heavy with tension from the impending battle. But 'battle' was the incorrect word. It was an impending slaughter of Green Eyes.

Strong Defender’s room echoed with the sound of snapping as a crack formed on the wall of my stomach. The wall shook and rocks and dust crumbled to the floor. I groaned from the pain of ripping open my belly, but I held firm. Slowly, the crater to the earth outside was opened.

Now, I only needed to bait my prey.

I formed hands with my mana by creating threads. Extended my Mana Threads into the unknown, I did.

But an unsettling sensation bit through my hands - through my Mana Threads.

Immediately, I yanked them back. I touched the outside world. But I was unwelcomed. The world rejected me. Destabilized me and my mana.

The pure mana within my threads could not keep its form. Once outside my belly, they slowly began to disintegrate and disperse, slowly returning back to free flying motes that did not follow my will.

The outside world erodes my control over my mana? Why?

I had no time to ponder.

It comes. Green Eyes.