“Pricey,” I snorted.

Not cheap were Yellow Screen’s options for reinforcing the lining of my stomach.

“Hah,” I sighed.

Not only weak, I was, but now broke too. My mana reserves - empty, they were. And stingy Yellow Screen would not give me a discount!

I spent all of my remaining mana. Sad, I was. I could not even reinforce all of my stomach. Now manaless, I was again. But at least stronger, parts of my belly were. And Mother liked me growing stronger.

“Yellow Screen, cheapskate,” I grumbled in my newly formed cavern.

Yellow Screen did not reply to my complaints. But gloated while floating midair, Yellow Screen did.

[Notification]

Congratulations!

Intiatial fortifications of the dungeon walls have been completed! New Stats have been added for the walls of the first floor of the Atlas Dungeon!

Dungeon Floor Durability - First Floor

Entrance Section: 10/10

Split paths - Each path: 10/10

Right Room - Strong Defender: 10/10

Left Room - Strong Helper: 10/10

Final Room - Strong One: 10/10

Core Chamber: 50/50

Note:

Recommendations from Hive Mother advise a minimum of 500 points of durability for all sections of the dungeon.

Find more ways to increase the dungeon’s durability.

Also note, a reduction of floor durability to zero means a breach through the dungeon walls. Possible collapse of the section may occur.

“Five hundred?! How much thicker and stronger did Mother want my belly to be?!”

Knew not, I did. Mother, I could not ask. Yellow Screen also lacked any response to my question. Pondered, I continued. Precisely, I did not know what exactly attributed to the values of my walls. But know, I did, the values of the infused materials to my belly.

Green Eyes detested unshiny materials. His tummy rumbled like mine after eating iron. So infused iron into the walls of my belly, I did! Twelve mana, I spent to manifest the iron from Green Eye’s extracted memories. Oddly, the created iron from my mana burned bright red and bubbled as it formed. Molded, I then did next. The molten iron seeped into my belly, clumping loosely together with the rocks and dirt. Forty more durability, I obtained for my cavern from the added iron ore. Green Eyes’s claws now would have trouble digging to get to my heart! Green Eyes would only be able to enter from my creations’ rooms!

Then squished, Green Eyes would be!

My strong creations will smash and kill all the Green Eyes that dares to enter and eat me! Return, I will not to the eroding darkness! So I wanted- No. I needed to infuse iron into all the other areas of my belly too! But my mana ran out. Infusing the other parts of my belly, I currently could not.

Darn, Yellow Screen. Makes everything so pricey.

Ignored Yellow Screen, I did.

I felt Strong One and Strong Helper enter my belly from the outside world. But troubled, my creations were.

“Master?! Master?! Wheres are you, Master?! Did furry creature do this?! Strong One kills all furry creature! Did it takes Master?! Master!? Master!?” Strong One frantically bellowed, dropping all his takings from the outside onto the floor of my belly. Strong Helper followed suit, also dropping the large bundle of items she wrapped her arms around at the entrance.

Strong One stomped, heavily so, making me gasp with pain with each step as he hurriedly dashed deeper within my newly formed belly. Followed, Strong Helper did, chasing after Strong One with thunks shaking my darkness. But soon stopped, Strong One did, confused by the split path as he came to find me.

“Oh no! Master?! Master attacked?! Who dares make holes in Master?!” Strong Helper screeched, witnessing the split paths after colliding into her brother.

Calmed my creations with glee, I did! I spoke into their brains.

“Surprise, Strong One, Strong Helper! Come! Continue through either path! The right side will lead to Strong Defender’s room, and the left side will lead to Strong Helper’s room! An apartment, I am making for you!”

“Master!” Strong Helper and Strong One both exclaimed in happiness from hearing the sound of my voice. They then both took a moment to understand what I said.

Strong Helper jumped up and down on foot and then the other. A bikini, she needed to help her chest. Pulled Strong One forward as she bounced jovially around.

Laughing loudly, Strong Helper replied, “Haha! Me thanks you, Master! Me thanks you! Haha! A room? For Strong Helper?! Strong Helper is so happy!”

Strong One paused, waiting to hear his name and room to be called. But I wanted to surprise Strong One. I wanted to surprise Strong One when Strong One entered his room. A while, Strong One waited, before a tearful voice broke my darkness. Wailed, Strong One did. So loud, my belly shook.

“Mas- Mast-“ Strong One choked. “Master!! Me so sorries, Master! Strong One messed ups, Master? Is Master mad at Strong One?”

Misunderstood, Strong One did.

“No, no! Not at all! I am not mad at you, Strong One. I wanted to surprise Strong One! Past Strong Defender’s and Strong Helper’s rooms is your room, Strong One - right in front of mine.”

Strong One stopped crying, remaining tears still streaming down his stubby chin. Lifted, Strong One’s cheeks then did. Jagged teeth were shown as Strong smiled brightly.

“Ugh!” I grunted as Strong One rammed the part of my stomach that split into two paths. He forcefully hugged my belly as he happily cried.

“Master! Master! Thank you, Master! Master not abandoned Strong One!”

I gasped in pain and in shock. “Of course not, Strong One! Never! Not like Mother!”

“Mother? Who is Mother, Master?”

I didn’t know how to reply. “I- I don’t know, Strong One. My master?”

“Master’s master? Master’s master abandoned Master?”

“I don’t know, Strong One. But know that I will not abandon you.”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“Me too, Master? Strong Defender said, thumping his way to greet his siblings.

“Of course, you too, Strong Defender! And Strong Helper as well! I am not like Mother! I will not be silent! I will not abandon any of you! Go! Bring in your findings to my cavern! Feast, we will! Celebrate defeating Green Eyes, we will! Afterwards, we will look at your new rooms!”

Strong One stepped, ready to follow my orders but stopped. He glared at Strong Defender, noticing a difference in his brother and complained. “Master! Strong Defender supposed to be Small Defender! Why is Strong Defender bigger now?! Me wants to be bigger too!”

I chuckled, wanting to shake my head, or was it my core? “No, Strong One. That is Strong Defender’s normal height. Strong Defender did not get bigger. My belly did. See?” I said, directing a sensation to my creations to look up at my belly.

“Oh! Master is bigger! Taller!” Strong Helper said with shock as she realized the increased height of the ceiling.

“Yey! Master is bigger now!” Strong One exclaimed with a toothy grin. But he then looked at Strong Defender and frowned. Strong One was not ecstatic about being shorter than Strong Defender.

“Yes. Stronger, I am now, much in part to you, Strong One.”

Strong One stopped glaring at his brother, pulling his hands behind and back and bashfully spun back and forth with one foot out. “Hehe, thanks you, Master.”

“Of course! You all worked hard! Strong Helper and Strong Defender, too!”

“Happy, me is, Master! Thanks you!”

“Yes. Thank you, Master.”

“Now, celebrate, we will. Let’s grab all those yummy stuff from the outside!”

“Yes, Master!” My creations yelled in unison as they rushed to the front of my belly.

Soon piles of items from the outside world laid upon the floor of my personal cavern. Strong One came rushing through my belly, ignoring his room as he entered my chamber.

“There’s you are, Master! Me missed you! Me worried fuzzy creature hurt you!” Strong shouted with a trembling voice.

My core - my heart, it glowed warmly in gold. “Thank you, Strong One. And to you two as well, Strong Defender, Strong Helper.”

“Pretty, Master,” Strong Helper said in an almost trance-like voice while looking at my core that gently illuminated the dark.

But soon my creations - my family, we laughed and played, feasting on the items brought from the outside. Strong One gloated, smugly bringing his cherished fruit to Strong Defender. It was good to see the brothers getting along in their own peculiar way.

“Haha! Here, uglys! Try this! Great Treasure is hards to finds! You nevers been to the outsides befores, rights?! Soft insides from the outsides! Great Treasure - sweet and tangy and yummy! Strong One is older and will give Great Treasure to ugly.”

Watched, I did, as Strong Defender extended his thick, long arms and accepted Strong One’s fruit.

“You sure, Strong One?” Strong Defender asked suspiciously with one eyebrow raised.

Strong One proudly tilted back his bald head and nodded.

Strong Defender smirked. “Okay, Strong One, but you need to eat more to grow taller. Old One.”

Strong One snapped. “Whats, ugly?! Fighting me, ugly?! Strong One is stronger than ugly!”

“I don’t know about stronger. But for sure, Strong Defender is taller. Strong One is only older, Old One. Hahaha!”

Strong One leaped up from the ground and charged. I watched as the duo wrestled each other to the floor with an earthquake.

Hmm. Not hurt, chamber part of my belly.

Ogres were much too strong. Hardening my entire belly, I needed to quickly accomplish. Harden with iron so pain would happen no more.

“Yeah! Fights! Fights!” Strong Helper cheered her brothers’ brawl, pumping both arms wildly in the air.

But I sighed, groaning as my creations tried to pin one another onto the ground.

“Alright, enough, you two. I suppose no one is hungry anymore? If not, swallow, I will, everything that remains.”

Wrapping around Strong Defender in a pincer hold by, Strong One nonchalantly replied to my statements with ease. “Oh! Master! Strong One has special gift for Master!”

Surprised, I was. I was pleasantly surprised Strong One had another gift for me. But I was also shocked Strong One appeared much stronger than Strong Defender. Even though I used more mana to create Strong Defender.

Why? Was it because Strong One was born first? Maybe because of more experience fighting? Going outside more? Eating more, maybe?

Strong One cut my thinking short. “Master! Here! New insides of outsides for Master to eat! Red Treasure!”

Strong One wiggled Strong Defender’s face one last time into his arm pit. Smelly, for sure. Strong One then released his brother from the staunch choke hold. Pushing up, Strong One walked to the pile of miscellaneous items he dropped earlier. Squatting down, he sifted through the grass and branches and pulled out a small but oddly familiar sight.

“A rabbit?”

“Rabbit, Master? What is rabbit?”

“The creature in your hand, Strong One.”

“Red Treasure? Rabbit?”

“Yes, somehow I know what you hold in your hands. Seen this creature before, I did.”

Red, the rabbit partially was. Soaked in red blood. Flattened, more so. It was dyed red by its bloody soft insides that squished and splattered out from its belly. But I think originally white, the rabbit’s fur was. Furry like Green Eyes, but not coarse, the rabbit creature dangled lifelessly from Strong One’s hand.

“Red Treasure appeared near tall grass, Master! Me catched Red Treasure! Red Treasure hopped fast - zigzagged left and then right. But stopped. Strong One’s hand faster! Smashed and caught Red Treasure! Soft. Red Treasure - soft and warm but now cold.”

“I see. Good job, Strong One! I will take the great treasure you caught for me!”

“Haha! Yes, Master!” Strong One gloated as he turned to Strong Defender. “Jealous, ugly?”

“Jealous? Of Strong One’s small brain? Strong Defender will catch ten for Master, not only one.”

“What ugly say? Ten?! Hahaha! Brain cannot catch fast treasure, ugly! Only strong hand!”

Focused, I could not hear all of my creations’ bickering. My eyes glued onto the rabbit. Held by the ears, Red Rabbit dangled wildly from Strong One’s jerking movements as he pointed and argued with Strong Defender.

But Red Rabbit, I was not solely interested in.

Something on Red Rabbit’s foot caught my attention.

“Strong One, place Red Rabbit on the ground. Let me eat it.”

“Huh? Oh! Yes, Master!”

I ate a lot already. But hungered for Red Rabbit, I still did. I wanted to eat it. More, I needed. Strong, I will become. My entire being desired to consume it. The allure of something new drew out my carnal nature.

Bits of cold blood flug out from the dead rabbit as Strong One swung it back around. Unconsciously, I ate the coagulated bits of splatter blood, pulling them deeper once they touched my belly.

Wanted it. Craved it. New. Yummy. Mine.

The moment Strong One placed the carcass on the ground, a hole immediately collapsed and swallowed Red Rabbit whole.

Yeees.

I tasted it - everything, as Red Rabbit fell into the depths of my belly. The soft, bloodied fur brushed along the sides of my darkness, falling deeper and deeper. I felt each strand of fur - tasted its raw, gushy innards that were squished out from its underbelly.

Mooore.

Long, had it been stiff, cold and unmoving. Sinking to the bottom of my belly, the rabbit dissolved, pulled apart layer by layer. The skin, the muscles, the organs, and bones: all of the rabbit gradually melted and dispersed into mana.

Moooooooore!

But most interesting of all, something metallic on its foot dissolved in my stomach as well.

“Consume, absorb, and extract everything!” I commanded and used my skills.

[Notification]

New items have been absorbed!

Fragmented pieces have been consumed and added!

Trap: Metal Snare

New knowledge from the Moon Rabbit is available for extraction!

Extract more to complete the fragmented knowledge.

Once complete essence and composition is known, blue prints can be used for creation.

”Trap Snare? What is Trap Snare?” Asked unconsciously, I did.