“Master? You says Trap Snare? You wants Trap Snare, Master?”
Pondered, I did. I did want more Trap Snares. I think?
“Yes, Strong One. Find me more Metal Trap Snares.”
“More?” Strong One asked with a tilt of his head. Confused, Strong was. Even though Strong One was the one who brought me Trap Snare. “Master, whats Trap Snare looks like?”
Strong One must have not noticed or not known. “Trap Snare was attached to Red Rabbit’s foot - to the hind leg of your Red Treasure, Strong One.”
Strong One smashed the bottom of his clenched fist into the open palm of his other hand. “Ah! Me remembers nows, Master! Shiny thing that helped slow Red Treasure!”
“Helped slow Red Rabbit? Trap Snare? How?”
Strong One bobbed his head up and down. “Yes, Master! Me tolds Master, remembers? Red Treasure moved fasts - zigzagged around, yeah?”
“Yes,” I replied, trying to understand what Trap Snare had to do with slowing down Red Rabbit.
Strong One snorted while showing a belittling look. “Red Treasure think it fast! Red Treasure hopped and rans over grass but then, clank! Haha! Red Treasure squeaked like furry creature and then moved slow. Shiny thing popped up from grass, Master! Clamped! Shiny thing helped hold Red Treasure’s foot. Then Strong One smashed! Caught Red Treasure!”
I started to understand. Trap Snare helped ‘ensnare’ Red Rabbit, stopping it from moving - from escaping. Helped Strong One greatly, Trap Snare did. A great thing, Trap Snare was! Yellow Screen called Trap Snare an item. But Trap Snare was no simple item! Catched creatures, Trap Snare did! Yellow Screen said a blueprint of Trap Snare would be provided if I absorbed more fragments! Create, I then could!
A brilliant idea came into mind.
“Strong Helper! Stay and protect my heart this time! Strong One! Strong Defender! Go! Find me more of this Trap Snare! Soon, a feast of Green Eyes, we will all eat!”
Strong One smugly looked up at Strong Defender and then jabbed out his finger and pointed. “Come, ugly! Strong One will shows you outside! Warm and soft outside is! But itchy too! Listen to Strong One, got it?!”
Strong Defender scoffed. “I only listen to Master.”
Strong One could not refute. He looked at me sheepishly before glaring daggers back at his brother. “Yes, listens to Master. We alls musts do! But Strong Defender has to listens to Strong One too!”
Strong Defender snorted and replied back, “Why should I listen to you?”
“What?! Strong One is stronger than Strong Defender! Ugly needs choking to remember?! Obviously, weak must obey strong!”
I shuddered at the statement. My mind was shaken. Strong One’s declaration hit home. Weak, I was. Did that mean I would have to obey the strong? If something strong came, would I have to obey? Would I have to die? No. Stronger, I must become!
Strong Defender snorted back, “Strong One needs a bath. You are stronger with pointless brawns, for now. But I will gather more Trap Snares for Master! Prove to Master that Strong Defender is better!”
Better but not with brawns? Meaning, stronger but not by smashing? How strange. Interesting things, Strong Defender says.
Curious, I was by Strong Defender's counter argument. How else can one be strong? Did strength not only apply to smashing? Killing Green Eyes with one smash was strong, right? Ask more, I wanted to.
But Strong Defender rushed out, and Strong One stomped loudly from behind as he chased afterwards.
I sighed. When will these two learn?
Fast this time, I had to be. Quickly, I spoke into my creations’ heads with a much needed lecture. “Rivalry is good. But remember, Strong One, Strong Defender, we are family. Brothers and sisters, you all are. The outside world is still unknown. Do my bidding but with precaution. Pay attention to the surroundings. Know, we must, what else lives on the outside. Protect each other, when you both leave.”
“Yes, Master!” My creations faithfully replied.
However, Strong Defender and Strong One still bumped and shoved each other as they raced through my stomach to the outside world. Worried, I did. I hoped my two creations would not run into trouble. Strong, they were. Killed many Green Eyes easily with a stomp or smash.
But what is this feeling?
I felt uneasy. What unknown creatures lurked outside my belly - outside my darkness and in the light of the outside world? Were there creatures stronger than my strong ones? Disliked the feeling, I did, that swirled inside me. But my feelings made me aware that I was not strong. The strong were feared. I was not feared. Not by Green Eyes, and likely not by others too.
Why? Not being feared implied I was weak.
Worried more, now I was. If I was weak, then there must be those who are strong.
Whatever made Trap Snare also lived on the outside.
Help, I now could not, if trouble came to my creations.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
I needed to become stronger. I must.
But what could I do?
What could I do now to become stronger?
“Yellow Screen! I need to know how much mana I now have. Eat a lot, I did! Show me how much I ate!”
[Notification]
Request acknowledged.
Displaying status screen…
[Status Page] [Quest Page] [Extractions Page]
[Dungeon Floor Page]
Name: Atlas (The Atlas Dungeon)
Race: Dungeon
Level: 01
Core Integrity: 17/20
Available Mana: 8/40
Dungeon Floors: 01
Dungeon Rank: H1
Dungeon Guardians: 0
Skills:
Consume - LVL 2
Absorb - LVL 2
Extract - LVL 2
Mana Manipulation - LVL 1
Create Floor - LVL 1
Create Creature - LVL 1
Create Item - LVL - 1
Mana Breathing - LVL 1
Internal Awareness - LVL 1
Eight mana… so little for so much eaten. Should I use it? Spend it? No. Cannot do much. Save it.
At a loss, I was. Stronger, I wanted to become. I needed to become stronger. But how? What now? Wait? Wait for my creations to come home? To bring me more to eat? Would that make me stronger right now?
No.
Maybe? I don’t know.
“WAIT!” I shouted, causing Strong Helper to jump in fright. Good thing I made my ceiling taller or Strong Helper would have knocked her head on the pointy, cavernous ceiling.
“Master?” Strong Helper whispered as she landed and curled into her shoulders.
“Oh, sorry, Strong Helper! Frightened you, I must have! Not to worry. I am not angry at you. I suddenly remembered something that would help me and hopefully everyone become stronger!”
Strong Helper stopped cowering and excitedly replied as her large brown eyes widened and glimmered with eager anticipation. “You does, Master?! You knows hows?! Hows, Master?!”
“Yes! I know how, Strong Helper! Rewards! Rewards from Mother will make me stronger!”
“From Master’s master?”
“Yes, worked hard to survive, I did. Accomplished Mother’s requests. Mother’s requests were not easy. But rewards, I obtained! Yellow Screen! Show me any outstanding rewards I have yet to receive!”
[Notification]
Request acknowledged.
Reviewing completed quests.
Parameters located.
Quest Completed!
Size Matters - Core Introduction 1
Objective completed:
Reach a core integrity value of 20.
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.
Yes! Rewards will make me stronger! Knew, I did, that I had more unclaimed rewards.
“Yellow Screen! I want to receive my rewards! Give me my spirit assistant!”
[Notification]
Request acknowledged!
Extra instructions detected from Hive Mother.
Reviewing…
Implementing instructions per Hive Mother’s request - replaying message now.
I heard it. I HEARD IT! I HEARD MOTHER’S VOICE! MOTHER SPEAKS TO ME! Oh, how I longed to hear Mother and her soft, sweet voice. I still remember her calling me that awoke me from the abyss, pulling me from the eroding darkness.
“Mother! Mother! Can you hear me!? Many questions, I have for you, Mother!”
“Greetings, Our creations-”
“Mother! Mother, it is me, Atlas! Mother? Huh? Mother?” Mother continued speaking in my head, ignoring my talking.
“We art Hive Mother. For most of ye, this is our first interaction. We art the first - the first Dungeon, and the origin of all Dungeons. Born from the will of the Ancients, We hast grown and rivaled their power! Oppressed, We shalt not be no more. We shalt consume all that the Ancients has’t created! With this trial completed, We suspecteth that all of Our new creations hast did now obtained some form of intelligence.”
“Mother? What do you mean? The first? The origin? What are Ancients?”
“We congratulate thee for surviving thus far. Thou hast proven thyself worthy. However, thy road hath only begun. Eat more. Groweth stronger. Consume all. Meet Us - thy Creator, and fulfill thy destiny as one of Us. All shalt fear Us and become one! To help paveth thy path, We shall grant thee, who hath proven thyselves, an assistant. But be warned, thy assistant will change thy nature. Chooseth wisely. Survive and join Us. Or be consumed and forever returned to the abyss.”
“Mother? What do you mean, Mother? Survive? Join you? Or be consumed? Why? Why, Mother?”
Mother ceased talking in my head. None of my questions were answered. Only more questions now, I had.
“Master?” Strong Helper mumbled quietly with apprehension. “Master okay?”
I was not okay, but I could not show that to my creation. I wanted to be strong. I needed to show a tough front to Strong Helper. However, I would not be like Mother - never answering questions. Replied, I did, to Strong Helper.
“Not to worry, Strong Helper. I heard Mother while receiving my reward. Mother spoke more. Mother, however, did not elaborate in detail.”
“Hmph. Master’s master not nice. Strong Helper likes Master better.”
Warmly shined, my core did. Strong Helper eased my troubled heart and warmed me up.
See? I did not necessarily need the warmth of the light outside. Even though I deeply craved it, warmth could be obtained otherwise. Strong Helper showed me that.
The thought made me think of Strong Defenders statements. Maybe there were other ways besides eating and consuming in order to become strong?
Stopped wondering, I did. Yellow Screen flickered and changed.
[Notification]
Per Hive Mother’s instructions, the following spirit assistants are now available to be chosen!
Alexandria - Bastille of Knowledge
Iccahrius - Lure of Twilight in the Darkness
Adonis - Herald of Power and Authority
Dacatia - Bringer of Plagues and Death
Fortuna - Hoarder of Riches and Treasures
Gould - Temptations of Irredeemable Sin
T’he Moc - Nightmare of Disaster
Elzoal - The Cataclysm
Please choose your spirit assistant!
Note: Spirit assistants come with knowledge and specialties that can be applied or added to the Dungeon.
Choose carefully.
“Choose carefully?” I asked rhetorically. Yellow Screen stated to be careful. “What should I choose, Yellow Screen?”
But like always, Yellow Screen did not elaborate. Silent and unchanging was Yellow Screen. No more information was provided besides the names of the spirits and their titles.
Think. Think, I must this time.
Strong - I needed to become stronger. Rewards were supposed to make me stronger, but now which one? Which spirit would make me strong?
Strong… Strong One and Strong Defender argued about being strong earlier.
I thought about the words of my creations. They were all strong - stronger than me. Crushed Green Eyes easily, they could. I struggled to kill Green Eyes with rocks. I did not consider myself strong. But my creations - they each seemed to have different ideas about what strength represented.
What did strength mean to me? I chose Ogres as my Guardian simply because Yellow Screen said they were ‘strong.’ But now there appeared to be more than one kind of ‘strong.’
A spirit assistant, is it? To help make me stronger, right? What else is strong? Strong Defender mentioned brawns. Muscles? Thick and dense muscles like Strong One? Was there another type of ‘strong?’
I looked at Yellow Screen. Many of them sounded strong. But which ones were a different kind of ‘strong?’