Strong One came back and forth, stacking more from the outside for me to eat onto the ground in my darkness, on my stomach. I swallowed and ate, trying to understand more of the different plants. But unfortunately, information was lacking. I only gained more fragments, but from those fragments I understood.

Not all was equal. Some plants have more mana than others. But why? Why were some created to have more? To be better? To be superior? Is that the case? Then what was I? Superior? Inferior? Mother said to grow strong, which implied I am currently not. Then am I like the plants that are less? Am I less?

No, I rejected that thought. Mother said I was to be a king.

But that means that the other plants are not less as well, yes? If not less and not more, then what? Were they potentially kings as well?

My thoughts of feeling less and inadequate were interrupted by Strong One.

Strong One dropped off more for me to eat. He brought back more greens, bundled between his belly and wrapped around by his massive arms. But he hurriedly ran back out with a skip, grinning with a mouth full of jagged teeth as he left to the outside world. A strange yet familiar feeling arose from the bottom of my heart, directed at Strong One. Strong One brought me all he found, and I ate - ate everything he brought. But I was unsatisfied.

[Notification]

Mana absorbed!

Materials absorbed!

Composition fragments of various species extracted!

Complete extractions.

Blue prints available for creation:

Wheat Grass

Snake Vine

Aldurian Tree

Elder Berries

Livian Glower Lily

Slint Herb

Mana Herb

You may now use your blueprints to create an environment to lure in more creatures!

Incomplete extractions:

Fragmented Poison Scurry

Fragmented Belthor’s Bane

Fragmented Honeybulb Tree

Extract more to complete fragmented knowledge. Once complete essence and composition is known, blue prints can be used for creation.

I looked at the yellow screen. I should be happy. I now had blueprints for new creations. But unsatisfied, I was. Not because of Yellow Screen. Not because of the greens I ate. Hungry, I still was. But oddly, hunger did not make me feel unsatisfied. Strong One. My creation. He left me unsatisfied - unsatisfied because of Strong One’s scary smile.

“Master! Strong One finds great treasure! Here, Master! Try! Try great treasure! Sweet! Juicy! But Strong One hates brown hands holding great treasure. Brown hands, longs and toughs. Not yummy.”

I looked at Strong One, his thick arms wrapped around golden fruit still attached to snapped branches Strong One called ‘brown hands.’ He was happy. But the happiness he found was outside of me. I felt incompetent. Incapable. I wanted to provide, but I was hungry - currently fed by Strong One. I was weak. Mother only wanted strong. Everything showed me I was not strong. I did not like being weak.

Conflicted, I was. I liked Strong One, yet was left unsatisfied by him.

“Thank you, Strong One. How is the outside world? Do you like it?”

“Master! Strong One loves outside world! So warm! Many things to touch! Some, soft! Some, very itchy! But many, so yummy! Like great treasure!”

I asked, but Strong One’s answer hurt my core, my heart. Not hurt like with Green Eyes. Green Eyes hurt my core, bit pieces of my heart. But Strong One’s smile hurt more. Deeper, cut deeper. My Strong One preferred the outside instead of inside of me. I could not provide Strong One like the outside world. But I understood. I, too, longed for the warm outside world.

“Strong One. What if I made my darkness like the outside. Would you like it?”

“Master makes home like outside? Master can do?”

“Yes, Strong One. I think so.”

“Yes! Yes, Master! Strong One happy Master wants to make home like outside for Strong One! Happy! So happy!”

Finally, the cutting pain in my heart, inside my core, eased. Pain numbed, replaced by the warmth of Strong One’s smile, this time shown for me. Only me.

“Okay, Strong One. Keep bringing me more of the outside. I will make the darkness here like the outside. For you, Strong One.”

“Yes, Master!” Strong One shouted, placing the golden fruit on the ground. Strong One turned around, shook my darkness as he thumped the ground with his thick stubby legs while running back to the outside.

Now I need to finish eating, eat everything Strong One brought me to grow stronger. I willed my darkness, and the ground around Strong One’s offerings split open, gradually lowering the food into my abyss. Slowly, all the greens and golden fruit slipped into the depths of my darkness, disintegrating into a mist of shimmering silver particles. I swallowed and ate it all. A new sweetness permeated my being as I extracted sensations from my food.

[Notification]

5 Mana absorbed!

Accumulated Mana from Absorption: 19

Accumulated Mana from atmosphere: 6

Available Mana: 30

Completed Extractions:

Honeybulb Tree

Use Mana to enhance core integrity?

(Yes) (No)

I looked at Yellow Screen and debated. I didn’t solely desire to use everything to enhance my core.

“Yellow Screen. I only want to increase my core’s integrity to twenty.”

[Notification]

Acknowledged.

Deducting ten mana…

Core integrity increased to 20.

Core Integrity: 7/20

Available Mana: 20/40

I felt my heart heating up. My core burned. Searing pain, I felt. The shiny part of me swelled, growing larger. The fire cooled, and my core hardened. But the pain remained fresh in my mind.

[Notification]

Quest Completed!

Size Matters - Core Introduction 1

Objective completed:

Reach a core integrity value of 20.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Additional hidden objectives completed:

Surviving with a damaged core and no enhancements within the dungeon.

Rewards:

Hive Mother grants a spirit assistant of your choosing.

Additional Rewards:

Reinforced walls: You can now reinforce the lining of your dungeon to better protect you from internal and external damage.

Note: Sturdy materials must be found and used or manifested with extracted knowledge to be used.

Warning: Certain materials may draw more/unwanted creatures. Be prepared.

Much information, I digested. Overall core integrity increased. However, the amount intact was low and did not heal. Worrisome, with the amount of core integrity I had left. But remaining mana was insufficient. I needed more. Must eat more.

Should I recover my core integrity? How do I do so, anyway?

“Yellow Screen, how do I recover my core integrity?”

Yellow Screen popped up and told me I needed three mana to heal one point of my core. My mana was limited. Choices, I needed to make.

Do I start making my insides look like the outside? Should I heal my core first?

No. The answer was none of the above. I immediately i decided to make Strong One’s sibling. I called Yellow Screen to use the skill.

“Yellow Screen! Wait. Yellow Screen said I needed to remember how to evoke the skill, Create Creature, by myself. Yellow Screen said it would not help me anymore.”

I had no time remaining to hesitate.

It comes!

My darkness rumbled. It came at my side, near my core. I felt the familiar clawing from before. The biting at my darkness - at the outside of my stomach.

“Another Green Eyes! Another Nether Mole that eats young Dungeons!”

Strong One was in the outside world. Disconnected, we were. I could not sense Strong One. I could not call him to protect me. I must create another Orge. I must create another protector!

Ten mana, I needed. Twenty mana, I had. I needed strength but also needed to be frugal. I focused on my core, on the mana stored inside my heart. Half of what was remaining, I sensed, I separated.

Pulled out half my mana, following the sensations I recalled from before.

Hurry! Biting through my darkness! Need a defender! Will create Strong Defender!

Pooled half my available mana before me. Now weave. Took the small golden motes. Threaded them into a line. Sewed them into bones first. Stronger base, this time. Strong Defender needs stronger legs - legs to stomp intruders.

I recalled the making of Strong One and remembered how Yellow Screen made his skeleton. Strong Defender needed to have thicker bones. Larger bones. I willed my mana and condensed a stockier frame. More mana than I expected pulled from the glob before me. I felt the weight of the bones pushed down on the floor of my stomach, rising and curling at the ceiling of my stomach. Strong Defender was much bigger than Strong One. Quickly, I weaved Strong Defender’s muscles and insides.

But now I faced a problem. I ran short of mana. I did not have enough to wrap skin around Strong Defender.

Why?

[Notification]

A unique creation from using the Ogre blueprint requires more mana.

Additional mana required: 5 Mana

Use additional mana for creation?

(Yes) (No)

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

New information, Yellow Screen provided. But no time to ponder. No time to think deeply.

“Yes! Hurry, Yellow Screen! Use five mana to complete making Strong Defender!”

Yellow Screen acknowledged my request. Strong Defender continued to be wrapped in red skin before his skin cooled and dried, fading away as peachy undertones revealed another male Ogre. Hunched over, Strong Defender was. His head bowed down from the ceiling. Strong Defender was much too tall, bigger than Strong One. Bulkier.

“My Master. Greetings,” Strong Defender said.

“Yes. Hello, Strong Defender. That will be your name. For now, I need you to help kill an intruder. There, soon to come out by your right foot. Squash the intruder, who dares to kill me. Kill the intruder who tries to send me back to the darkness!”

“Who dares attack the Master! Strong Defender shall stomp all in Master’s way!”

Strong Defender seemed different. More complete. I still liked Strong One. I liked Strong Defender, too. I just noticed there was a difference in size and speech. I will help Strong One become stronger. We will all become stronger and speak better. Eat, I must.

It came, burrowing through my darkness, clawing through my stomach. The pain I could withstand. Worried less, I was. Knew Strong Defender protected me.

My darkness was lit by the light of the outside. But I saw them, Green Eyes. But this time not just two. There was not just two green eyes!

Two. Four! No, six! Three pairs of green eyes?! Can Strong Defender protect me?!

I knew Strong Defender was strong. But strong enough to take on three Green Eyes? I wasn’t sure.

I must create another Ogre!

“Strong Defender! There are three Green Eyes! Do not let them harm me! Protect me at all costs! I will try to make more brethren to help you!”

“None shall pass, Master!”

Strong Defender lowered his stance. His thick arms touched the ground. The muscles of his legs flexed, ready to move and stomp. The flab of his double chin pulled back. Body lowered, Strong Defender was now able to lift his bulky, bald head. Piercing brown eyes glared down at the three Nether Moles that entered my stomach and sniffed the air. All six green eyes jerked in my direction, honed in on my shimmering heart.

They scurried on their furry, four-legged bodies dashing towards me. Chills ran down the back of my core. I needed to focus and make more Ogres. Feeling the remaining mana in my core, I was about to pull out the rest when I noticed it was much less than what I needed.

Crap! I used fifteen mana to make Strong Defender! Which means I only have five mana right now! But I need ten!

A massive stomp on my darkness sent pain rippling from my stomach into my core. I nearly fainted.

Cannot blackout. Must stay awake! Must survive! Must help Strong Defender kill Green Eyes!

A last shrill squeal echoed from the mouth of a Green Eyes throughout my stomach. Strong Defender killed one, but the other two slipped past his hands and raced towards my heart. I needed to protect myself. There was not much I could create with five mana. But rocks, I could make. And so I did.

Once more! Rocks! But this time, walls!

I commanded my mana to condense two slabs of circular walls around my heart. What I needed was time. Strong Defender took out one Green Eyes easily. But the other two quickly dodged past Strong Defender.

“Strong Defender! Hurry! The other two are biting through the walls I just put up!”

“Worry not, Master! Strong Defender will protect you! How dare these underhanded cowards ignore me! Die!”

I heard a blood-curdling squeal, but my consciousness nearly gave out. I made a note to use my other reward and strengthen my walls. One indirect blow from Strong Defender, and I was nearly knocked unconscious. But I focused. However, there was not much else I could do in my situation.

I needed mana. I used everything to conjure the blockade of earthen walls, but I still heard the chittering of claws digging through. It was a race against time. With my skill, internal awareness, I felt the last Green Eyes approaching me fast, breaking through the first layer of walls. Faster, the last Green Eyes was than Strong Defender could reach. I was reminded of the hot, slippery tentacled-nose that licked my core, and shivers ran up the back of my heart.

I needed to fight back, but to fight back I needed mana. Using Internal Awareness, I located the two dead Green Eyes and willed my stomach to consume them. But my skill only allowed consuming and digesting one creature at a time!

Crap! Fine! Digest one Green Eyes for now!

The ground below the first dead carcasses collapsed, and the lifeless body fell into my depths. I began to digest the first Green Eyes, but yellow jagged teeth broke through the last barrier of rocks that I formed. The last Green Eyes pushed its long furry snout through the hole in a frenzy. Its head slipped though, and Green Eyes smiled with a nefarious grin of jagged yellow teeth.

Putrid.

I recalled the smell of Green Eyes. Revolting.

Green Eyes lunged at me, jaws wide open. My heart dropped. I wish my core literally dropped so I could dodge, but I could not move. I braced myself for immediate pain, praying the bite would not consume the last of my core’s integrity.

Just as Green Eyes nearly clamped onto shiny part of me, the sound of my savoir echoed in my darkness.

“Strong One kill! Kill all intruders that hurts Master!”

“Strong One! Help me!”

I saw Green Eyes fly backwards midair. It’s snout slammed shut, biting the air. Strong One yanked Green Eyes back by the tail. Tail held firmly in hand, Strong One smashed Green Eyes onto the ground, repeatedly lifting Green Eyes over his shoulder and smashing Green Eyes into the ground again and again.

After the second smash, Green Eyes went limp. But Strong One did not stop.

“How dares a rat hurt Master! Take this! And this!”

I was happy my creations protected me, but each thunderous smash shook my stomach, making me gasp from the impact.

“Strong One. Green Eyes is dead. Thank you for saving me. You can drop Green Eyes now.”

Strong One did as told, but then rushed towards my core. I worried Strong One would trip and smash me into smithereens, but Strong Defender stopped him.

“Careful near Master, Strong One. Master is hurt.”

“Hurts!? Master, where Master hurts? And who this ugly?”

“Master, that one called me ugly. Master can I teach that one some manners?”

“Manners?! Strong One mannered! You ugly, not mannered.”

I sighed. Seemed like brotherly love was going to be difficult. I decided to consume another Green Eyes while I resolved their issues.

[Notification]

Two Nether Moles consumed!

50 Mana absorbed!

Memories extracted!

Warning!

Excess mana exceeds the available storage capacity of 40 Mana. Immediate use of 20 Mana required, or excess will dissipate and return to the surroundings.

Skill Level Up!

Consume - LVL 1 -> LVL 2

You can now consume two creatures simultaneously.

Absorb - LVL 1 -> LVL 2

You can now digest two creatures simultaneously.

Extract - LVL 1 -> LVL 2

You can now extract more memories per use of skill.

Choose one of the three options to extract:

Useful metals and minerals consumed by Nether Moles.

Fragmented local geological information.

Fragmented memories of other nearby creatures.

[Notification]

New Quest received!

Size Matters - Core Introduction 2