Zeroth

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

Danny

Skill Rank Up: Lesser Force I > Lesser Force II!
MP Consumption decreased. Range slightly increased. Force strength slightly increased. Rather than more powerful, it would be more accurate to say this skill is now more efficient.

Skill Gain: Mana Shape I!
You can shape your raw Mana into the appearance of something. At this rank, your Mana does not have weight, force, or other physical qualities. Your Mana cannot produce sounds. Your Mana cannot move freely. Your mana can have its color changed. Your shapes must be relatively simple with no moving parts. The shape cannot be held for long without more MP.

System:Danny

After satiating his thirst, Danny once more practiced using his Lesser Force to manipulate the water. This turned out to be the last push he needed to trigger the growth of that skill. As he held his water sphere in place, however, and attempted to infuse/fill the water with his Mana Orb or vice versa, this bit of forced mana manipulation also caused his Mana Shape skill to reach its activation point!

But Danny's good fortune didn't seem to be over just yet. As he watched, his Mana and the sphere of water overlapped one another...and then, the glowing energy seemed to just...dissolve.

Like a cloud of chocolate powder being stirred into a glass of milk, Danny's mana suffused the water! The liquid--normally clear, as once he removed it from the pond most particles of dirt or bits of greenery could be filtered through his telekinetic grasp--now became an almost neon shade of blue, and the Mana no longer felt like pure, unbridled energy...Now it felt like it had weight, like it wanted to flow and twist.

He couldn't hold it for more than a few seconds, however, and with a sound like a wet raspberry the sphere of glowing water burst. What had just happened? And what else could he try...?

---

Ed

As Ed barreled across the cave and charged right into the pool, he would find himself instinctively beginning to doggy-paddle...or rat-paddle...doing something, at any rate. He could keep himself afloat and, oddly enough, using his tail as a makeshift rudder and paddle seemed to come second nature as well. Maybe it was his new body's instincts, or maybe he had just gotten used to it enough to use his own swimming skills from his previous life...if he had any?

At first, the rat's loud splash scared the small fish away, but once he began to calm himself they slowly began to return. The smallest ones just seemed curious, poking their heads out before darting away back into the deep. But one or two seemed like they might be big enough to take a little nibble of the water-treading rodent, if they got brave enough...

Deep beneath the surface of the pool, Ed might notice something glitter. And he could feel something pulling at him, ever so slightly, like a current...was it Torrent's monster-made creek, flowing back towards Jason's cave?

He could easily satisfy his thirst in the pool, but now his stomach began to grumble loudly...

---

Mourningstar, Torrent, Oberon

As the wisp, the lesserwurm, and the sprite began to explore their surroundings, Oberon explained what he had seen from above while Mourningstar experimented with using a stick as a tool, despite having no limbs. She snapped one off from a fresh branch, producing more of a twig than a stick. But its end was quite sharp where it had splintered from the tree, and thanks to its lighter weight she had no problem lifting it with her Lesser Force. However, for Wisps, the Lesser Force spell acted as their limbs. The effort of keeping it active was much like continually using the same muscle--carrying this stick around with her would be like carrying one's umbrella all day long, while awkwardly trying to do other things without dropping the umbrella. While it wouldn't be too troublesome if she rested every so often, it seemed Wisps just didn't have the options for inventory space that most of the other monsters had...then again, she had that Cane Wrap she had taken from Rattleskull's body. Maybe she could somehow tie the stick with it so that it would just hang off of her body when she wasn't using it?

But as she held the stick, examining it with Magic Analysis II, she felt a sudden rush...

Skill Rank Up: Lesser Force II > Lesser Force III!
Strength of Lesser Force increased, dexterity of Lesser Force increased. MP consumption and range are the same as Rank II.

You used Magic Analysis II!
This is not a Magical item, but it can be used as Material. Effectiveness decreased to 30%.
Wooden Spike - This fragment of a Sharp Stick isn't very long. It's already been broken, so it will continue to split, splinter, or break easily. It's currently fresh and green.

LEVEL UP!
Your learning experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 5! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! Your Max MP has increased!

Unspent Skill Points: 5

Current Skills:
Mana Orb II (2.2)
Lesser Force III (3.0)
Levitation (--)
Magic Analysis II (2.3)
Mana Shape I (1.5)
Mana Slice I (1.4)
Monster Analysis II (2.125)
Focus I (1.05)
<UNUSABLE SKILLS>
Muffle (0.2)
Smash (0.2)
Defender (0.2)
Deception (0.3)
Charisma (0.35)
Blunt Resistance (0.2)
Mental Resistance (0.1)
Point Strike (0.1)
Fire Resistance (0.2)
Rabid Fit (0.1)
Dextrous (0.3)
Suppress Presence (0.2)
Taboo (0.3)
Crafting (0.1)
<UNUSABLE SKILLS>

YOUR BODY IS BEGINNING TO CHANGE! You are undergoing Transformation! Based on your life experiences, your ability to survive, and the strength of your will, new paths have appeared! Choose carefully--there is no going back! WARNING. THIS PROCESS WILL LEAVE YOU TEMPORARILY VULNERABLE.

OPTIONS (* Indicates Suitability):
*(Adult) Wisp - More magical manifestation than biological creatures, Wisps nonetheless possess physical bodies. Their ability to cast spells from range makes them a foe that should not be underestimated by the novice. Wisps are magically oriented monsters, normally possessing two spells.

• Slight increase to all Base Stats
• Increase HP
• Increase Potential

(Immature) Pyrofly - This creature is similar to a large Wisp, however it appears as if its entire body has been set alight. These flames do not cause it harm, however; rather, it thrives on both warmth and ambient flame mana, and is always attracted to sources of these things. It is often energetic and volatile, but tends to have a short life-span not only due to its high energy expenditure, but also its vulnerability to things like water and cold.

• Increase MP
• Increase Fireball (reduced)
• Increase Fire Affinity (reduced)

**(Immature) Poltergeist - This monster is still fueled by Magic, but its hold on the physical world has become stronger. Though its chubby, infantile body isn't particularly large, its grasping limbs, levitation ability, and its manipulation magic make it quite the prankster. However, its defensive abilities don't grow as fast as some other species. For the already physically frail mage-types, this can be a dangerous weakness.

• Gain Arms w/Hands, Legs w/Feet, Head w/Eyes and Mouth
• Increase base power-stats (reduced)
• Increase Lesser Force (reduced)

*(Immature) Corpselight - This monster came to be by feeding on the ambient regrets, negative energy, and stagnant mana in environments suffused by the essence of death. It often hovers above such places, sucking out what little of the souls remain from corpses littering the ground. It prefers dark places and moonless nights, so that its glow can lure more unwary victims.

• Slight increase to all base stats
• Increase Mana Drain (reduced)
• Increase Blood Drain (reduced)
• Increase Taboo

System:Mourningstar

As the three monsters looked for food, they would find near the roots of one larger tree a small space where several shoots of something green and white were growing. If they had seen the goblins' collection of food last night they would recognize these plants as being the things that looked similar to wild onions, maybe leeks or parsnips. Another leafy plant sprouting up nearby appeared to be similar to a tuber of some sort, producing a large root in the dirt that they might be able to eat...Then again, did any of them have any sort of survival knowledge...?

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

The Timeline Has Re-Merged

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕆𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕𝕝𝕪 ℂ𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟

Day 10

---

Orchid and Goblins

You used Crafting IV! You are attempting to make Fiber Cord!
Bark Fiber (Bad) + Bark Fiber (Average)
You have used these materials before.
You have crafted this type of item before.
Your crafting methods are more efficient compared to your materials.
Your Crafting level has increased since the last time you created this item.
The quality of your item has been greatly improved! Average > Good > Well-Made!

You created Fiber Cord (Well Made)!

---

You used Crafting IV! You are attempting to make Fiber Cord!
Bark Fiber (Bad) + Bark Fiber (Bad)
You have used these materials before.
You have crafted this type of item before.
Your crafting methods are more efficient compared to your materials.
Your Crafting level has increased since the last time you created this item.
The quality of your item has been greatly improved! Bad > Average > Above-Average!

You created Fiber Cord (Above Average)!

You are Fully Rested.
You are Well-Fed.
Your throat is Dry.

System:Orchid

When Orchid went to sleep at mid-morning, Bigs and Wej were left to sit up on first watch. The goblins had all eaten well, and unbeknownst to the others the two watchgobs would trade off with each other on their own--or just plain get lazy--dozing under the shadows of the trees and within the light of the fire. The benefit of this, however, was that their watch went on longer; by the time Clod and Sqwal took their shift, it was already dark. They were more serious about their duties, but Clod might have disturbed some of the others--at one point, Orchid might have stirred at the sound of him slamming the rocks he had gathered against one another, or rubbing them against the trees to test their sharpness.

Around midnight, Orchid and Jezee took their posts. Working in the dark, and with dry, dead wood that had been gathered from the forest floor rather than cut fresh from the trees, it took Orchid about an hour and a half to strip enough bark that she could make cordage. Even then, the inner fiber was of poor quality for the most part, and kept breaking or fraying. But she was the goblin with the most skill at crafting, and she had made rope a few times before at this point. By the end of her watch session, she had made about 4 feet of well-made cordage. Crispy's minions took over in the wee hours of the morning; if Orchid had to guess, by the position of the moon, probably around three o'clock. She got a few more hours of sleep, but having relaxed herself by crafting and resting she felt wide awake and ready to go by the time the first blue mists began to rise from the dewy grass. While waiting for some of the others to stir, she managed to make another two-and-a-half feet of rope--her materials were worse this time, but again the ultimate result wasn't too terrible.

Combined with her (Average) Fiber Cord in her inventory, she now had a total of about 8 feet of cord, albeit in three separate pieces.

The other goblins were soon beginning to stir as well, especially once Clod got up and started banging rocks together again. He had filled his Wicker Shield with them the day before...but these didn't look like the rocks from the cave. He and Jezee had been the last ones to come back, so maybe he had gone further from the cave than the others? Perhaps to the north or the west, where they could see rising slopes in the distance? Of the eight rocks he had started with, two of them had been bigger than the goblin's own head. One of them was about the size of a big fruit, more than enough to fill two hands. Four of them were at least the size of a goblin's fist or so, and the last was about the same size as the usual rocks the goblins used for their weaponry--big enough to put a sharp edge on, but not much else.

However, thanks to Clod's own efforts--perhaps his own attempts at crafting--these original eight rocks had been broken down. Though Orchid wouldn't know it for sure since she had been asleep, the most reasonable assumption based on the look of the rocks probably went like this: Clod probably sat one of the head-sized stones on the ground, and hit it with the other head-sized stone. One of the two had broken in half. The one that hadn't broken, therefore the stronger, had been placed on the ground next and struck with the others in various orders of experimentation. The fruit sized one had also broken into two uneven pieces, one small and one fist-sized, but the stronger head-stone had only been chipped in one place. One of the fist sized stones had crumbled completely, apparently too flimsy in its compound of dirt, silicates, and whatever else that formed it. Again, the head-stone had only chipped. Another fist-sized stone had been broken as well, but the part that chipped off was too splintery to be used for anything. It did, however, leave that particular stone very sharp. The other two fist-stones hadn't broken or cracked, but succeeded in further shaping the head-stone. The stone that was barely big enough for an edge hadn't been used to smash the head-stone, but instead to scrape against it from various angles. Both had become sharper and their surfaces smoother.

Once again the two head-stones, or the one stone and its brother, now broken in two, were tested against each other. The two halves did not break further, and the first only chipped a little bit more along a fracture point Clod had already created, sharpening it even further. Unlike the Sharp Rocks Orchid had used for spear-points, or that Crispy had turned into knives, this piece of stone could easily be used as a primitive hand axe. But Clod wasn't done with it just yet. After waking up for the second time, watching Orchid make her cordage for a few moments, he went back to it.

He took the fruit-sized stone's fragments and examined them. Laying the sharp one off to the side for now, he took the fist-sized remainder and once again smashed it against a fracture point on his sharpened head-stone. Nothing really broke off of the bigger rock, but it had been knapped, or smoothed out. Then the two fist-stones that hadn't broken at all were used. Slowly the sharpened head-stone took on a more refined shape. By this point the sharpened side looked positively deadly for a stone-age weapon, and the dull side had been chiseled down and smoothed out enough that the rock could be considered somewhat "flattened." Clod apparently seemed happy with it, and now turned to the two halves of the other head-stone. Each half was roughly the same length as his sharpened piece, but only one side of them had broken smooth and the rest was still lumpy and unformed. He went to work on these with his harder pair of stones just as Orchid was finishing her last piece of rope.

"OI, WHO MAKIN' DAT RACKET?!" The whole camp buzzed to life as Crispy woke up. He hadn't taken a single watch the entire night, so had to have slept better than the rest of them, but now that he was awake he acted as if they had disturbed him all night. He glared at Clod, who bashfully hid his rocks behind his back, then got up and began stomping around. He berated his minions for letting the light rain the previous night dull his fire down to smoldering embers (the goblins were dry enough, having stayed under the trees or close to the overhang of the cave entrance), and then snapped at Sqwal for having allowed his torch to go out after his watch.

"Jezee, Bigs, Wej! Go find more food!" he ordered, and the three scrambled to obey. Finally sitting down to poke the fire back to life, he looked over at Orchid.

"Yas have any more o' dose weird dreams?" he asked her. "Meant to tells ya bout dat too. My Mudda had dreams, ya knows?"

Orchid might notice that the rain had left the trees dripping with moisture. She wasn't all that thirsty but her mouth was dry after sleeping all night, and it would be quite easy to gather up enough water in a large leaf or something to slake her need.

---

Ardur

As the pixie flew off into the forest all by his lonesome, he would find the sense of freedom and exhilaration he felt in the air far surpassed what he had experienced in the cave. By that same token, however, he might feel more exposed...

Because he was looking for what the goblins had found--bugs, plants, and berries--he would of course have to fly closer to the forest floor. Once he was down there, he would soon find a bush with several large bunches of berries, but they weren't the same color or shape as the ones the goblins had been eating. Those had looked a lot like earth's blueberries, although less vivid in color and more oval than round. The ones Ardur looked at right now were a darker green, almost the same as the leaves of the bush they were growing from. Rather than ovals, they were perfectly round like English peas, and bunched together in shapes almost like a pomegranate that had already had all its skin peeled off to reveal the pellets inside.

But there was something else for the pixie to see, too. That light rain from the previous night had been just enough to darken the dust, and in the moist soil it seemed like earthworms--or nightcrawlers, was there much of a difference?--were poking up out of the ground here and there to escape drowning through their own skins.

It was still awfully early in the morning, and so far Ardur hadn't seen any dangerous animals in the forest...

---

Asura, Momma Slime

As Asura sucked the rest of the blood from Rattleskull's torso, leaving it a dried out husk, his thirst was slaked. Blood was a liquid, and had an ample amount of water in it, but it wasn't quite the same to drink. However, for now it would do...he just might get thirsty again later. His "anatomy analysis" revealed a few interesting things to him--the bugbear's muscles, organs, and other things were structured about how one would expect for a primate. More like chimps than humans, however, his muscle fibers were longer and denser. Also, his appendix, spleen, and liver seemed larger by proportion than what would normally be found in a human--and for some reason bugbears apparently had only a single, much larger kidney. How interesting...yet mostly irrelevant.

When he asked Momma Slime about her Skill Points, she showed him an image of her memory. When the blurry words came into focus and shifted into Asura's language, he would note that she had apparently put all 38 of those points into Blunt Resistance, activating it and then upgrading it all the way to Rank IV. And at (4.35), it was about a third of the way to the fifth rank as well.

"Wut Skeelz do nao?" asked the blue blob.

---

Oberon

As Oberon climbed the trees, he would find that last night's misty rain had left the branches and leaves dripping with moisture. It would be no problem to find a larger leaf and collect enough water to slake his thirst, however it might take several "cups" considering he hadn't been drinking much yesterday, and now had slept through the day and night. His hunger might be another matter, as his rumbling stomach reminded him.

At the top of the tree, as he peered out across the land, he had a much better view than any of the Reincarnators thus far at the world they had been dropped into. Though he couldn't see forever, he soon began to form a mental map of the cave's surroundings. If only he had better eyes, or a magnifying glass, he might be able to zoom in to see details better.

To the north, and to the west, the slopes and hills that formed the land became steeper. The Otherworldly Cavern looked to be a place that had formed between two smaller cliffs that, at some point likely in the distant past, had collapsed against one another. Layers of dirt and plantlife had coated them, turning what was likely once a steeper, tee-pee-esque triangle into a more rounded dome of sorts. Now the cave looked to be little more than a grassy knoll, wedged up against other small cliffs on a gentle slope and giving way to a grassy clearing. But those mountains to the north and to the west, they rose up higher and higher...from the treetops, Oberon could see them clearly. Tinged in blues and purples, barely outlined against the still dark sky, their peaks glittering under the starlight with what had to be snow and ice...If Oberon had ever seen the Rockies, the Andes, the Alps, or the Urals, these would be just as breathtaking. And they stretched for miles both north and and south, going on and on and on.

Somewhere on those slopes, a single orange light flickered. Barely the size of a pinprick, it nonetheless pulsed like a beating heart.

To the south, the edge of the forest reached out like a curling branch. But the treeline here was much thinner, and gave way more readily to the grassy clearing between itself and the cave's entrance. Oberon still couldn't see well enough past the trees to know what lay beyond, but unless he missed his guess the land was considerably flatter in that direction.

To the east, the forest's main body lay in wait. The trees were large--compared to Oberon's tiny body, they were like the largest redwoods one could imagine. They were some type of hardwood, very similar to oak or yew, though there were a few other species mixed in as well. The brush grew thick in some places, not so much in others--this forest was old enough to form a sunlight-blocking canopy in some places, but had been trimmed enough over the years that the ground wasn't barren. Had it just been goblins cutting those trees, or were other creatures--maybe humans--harvesting them? Or perhaps this area was prone to natural disasters like fire or strong winds that thinned the trees every so often?

So far, Oberon couldn't see any immediately obvious sources of water. He could, however, see smoke to the east. It was thin smoke, barely visible at all if not for its whiter color against the lightening blue color of the horizon, and the darker color of the higher atmosphere. From how thin it was, it was clear that it had to be several miles away from the cave at the very least...

---

Jason

CURRENT QUEST OBJECTIVES:
+PATCH HOLES IN THE CEILING
+SECURE AND INCREASE RESOURCES
--NATIVE RESOURCES: HEALING HERB, MANA CRYSTAL, WATER, POISON HERB, TAINTED MANA CRYSTAL
--CURRENTLY AVAILABLE NON-NATIVE RESOURCES: FIRE, WOOD, FLAME-TOUCHED MANA CRYSTAL
+FEED DUNGEON CORE
--ORIGINAL FEEDING METHODS: AMBIENT MANA, NEGATIVELY CHARGED SOULS
--NO CURRENTLY ACCEPTED ALTERNATIVES
+HASTEN DUNGEON ASSIMILATION
--DESTROY OR EXPEL NON-ASSIMILATED INHABITANTS
--ORGANIZE ASSIMILATED INHABITANTS

DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE AT 7%
SLIME_A HAS BEEN REGISTERED.

ENTERING RESOURCE RENEWAL CYCLE.

...

DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE AT 8%
SKELEBLIN_004 HAS SPAWNED AT S-9

SEED GROWTH:
1. 0.2%...0.25%...
2. 0.1%...0.2%...
3. 0.1%...0.15%...
4. 0.15%...0.2%...
5. 0.1%...0.15%...

...

DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE AT 9%
FANGED_LIZARD_A REGISTERED

RENEWING RESOURCES: MANA CRYSTAL
DEPLETING MANA POOL...

SEED GROWTH:
1. 0.35%...0.4%...
2. 0.25%...0.35%...
3. 0.2%...0.35%...
4. 0.25%...0.3%...
5. 0.2%...0.3%...

---

DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE AT 10%
ASSIMILATION RATE INCREASED!
DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE AT 11.5%

SKELEBLIN_005 HAS SPAWNED AT O-6
ZOMBIE_PIXIE_003 HAS SPAWNED AT G-6

MANA CRYSTAL RENEWAL AT 50% OF RECORDED BASELINE
RECHARGING MANA...

SEED GROWTH:
1. 0.45%...0.5%...
2. 0.4%...0.55%...
3. 0.4%...0.5%...
4. 0.35%...0.45%...
5. 0.35%...0.4%...

---

DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE AT 13%
SKELEBLIN_006 HAS SPAWNED AT H-24
GHOST_WISP_002 HAS SPAWNED AT P-16. SPAWNING ERROR.
ERROR REPAIRED. SOLUTION: GHOST_WISP_002 ACTIVATED SKILL [TRANSPARENCY].

CONTINUING MANA CRYSTAL RENEWAL
DEPLETING MANA...

SEED GROWTH:
1. 0.6%...0.75%...
2. 0.65%...0.75%...
3. 0.55%...0.6%...
4. 0.5%...0.6%...
5. 0.5%...0.65%...

DUNGEON CONSTRUCTION WILL NOW BE ALLOWED. AUTO-REPAIR CONSTRUCTION ENGAGED. ASSIGNING SKELEBLIN_004, SKELEBLIN_005, SKELEBLIN_006, GHOST_WISP_001, GHOST_WISP_002, ZOMBIE_PIXIE_001, ZOMBIE_PIXIE_002, ZOMBIE_PIXIE_003.

---

DUNGEON ASSIMILATION AT 14.5%
DIRE_RAT_B REGISTERED.

MANA CRYSTAL RENEWAL COMPLETE. MANA CRYSTAL BASELINE RESTORED.
RECHARGING MANA...

SEED GROWTH:
1. 0.8%...0.9%...
2. 0.85%...0.9%...
3. 0.65%...0.75%...
4. 0.7%...0.8%...
5. 0.75%...0.85%...

AUTO-REPAIR CONSTRUCTION AT 10%. FOUND ITEMS: POISONED BONE NEEDLE X7. TOXIC BONE NEEDLE X3. ITEMS HAVE BEEN STORED IN DUNGEON CORE CHAMBER.

---

DUNGEON ASSIMILATION AT 16%
ASSIMILATION RATE INCREASED!
DUNGEON ASSIMILATION AT 18%

FANGED_LIZARD_B REGISTERED
SLIME_B REGISTERED
SKELEBLIN_007 SPAWNED AT N-25
PIXIE_A REGISTERED

CONTINUING RESOURCE RENEWAL
RENEWING HEALING HERBS
DEPLETING MANA...

SEEDS HAVE SPROUTED! HERB SPROUT GROWTH:
1. 1%...2%...
2. 1%...2%...
3. 1%...1.5%...
4. 1%...1.5%...
5. 1%...2%...

AUTO-REPAIR CONSTRUCTION AT 23%. SKELEBLIN_007 AND PIXIE_A ADDED TO ASSIGNMENT.

---
DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE AT 20%
ASSIMILATION RATE INCREASED!
DUNGEON ASSIMILATION AT 22.5%

DIRE_RAT_C REGISTERED
SLIME_C REGISTERED
PIXIE_B REGISTERED
GHOST_WISP_003 SPAWNED AT D-17

HEALING HERB RENEWAL AT 50% OF RECORDED BASELINE
RECHARGING MANA...

HERB SPROUT GROWTH:
1. 3%...4%...
2. 3%...4.5%...
3. 2%...3.5%...
4. 2.5%...3.5%...
5. 3.5%...4%...

AUTO-REPAIR AT 35%. ASSIGNED MONSTERS ARE OUT OF STAMINA. ENTERING STAND-BY MODE.
GHOST_WISP_003 ASSIGNED TO RESOURCE RENEWAL ASSISTANCE. NEW HERB SEEDS HAVE BEEN PLANTED.

---

DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE AT 25%
SKELEBLIN_008 SPAWNED AT L-27

DUNGEON CORE IS CURRENTLY OUT OF MANA. ASSIMILATION PAUSED.

MANA IS BEING USED BY ASSIMILATION RATE, RESOURCE RENEWAL, MONSTER SPAWNING, AUTO-REPAIR, SYSTEM MONITORING, AND UPDATE MANAGEMENT. RECOMMENDATION: INCREASE MANA SUPPLY. RECOMMENDATION:FEED MANA CORE MORE OFTEN.

NOT ENOUGH MANA TO DISPLAY SEED GROWTH.
NOT ENOUGH MANA TO DISPLAY HERB SPROUT GROWTH.
---

DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE AT 25%

DUNGEON CORE IS CURRENTLY OUT OF MANA. ASSIMILATION PAUSED.

MANA IS BEING USED BY ASSIMILATION RATE, RESOURCE RENEWAL, MONSTER SPAWNING, AUTO-REPAIR, SYSTEM MONITORING, AND UPDATE MANAGEMENT. RECOMMENDATION: INCREASE MANA SUPPLY. RECOMMENDATION:FEED MANA CORE MORE OFTEN.

NOT ENOUGH MANA TO DISPLAY SEED GROWTH.
NOT ENOUGH MANA TO DISPLAY HERB SPROUT GROWTH.

---
DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE AT 25%

DUNGEON CORE IS CURRENTLY OUT OF MANA. ASSIMILATION PAUSED.

MANA IS BEING USED BY ASSIMILATION RATE, RESOURCE RENEWAL, MONSTER SPAWNING, AUTO-REPAIR, SYSTEM MONITORING, AND UPDATE MANAGEMENT. RECOMMENDATION: INCREASE MANA SUPPLY. RECOMMENDATION:FEED MANA CORE MORE OFTEN.

NOT ENOUGH MANA TO DISPLAY SEED GROWTH.
NOT ENOUGH MANA TO DISPLAY HERB SPROUT GROWTH.
---

DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE AT 26%
SKELEBLIN_009 SPAWNED AT M-21

DUNGEON CORE IS CURRENTLY OUT OF MANA. ASSIMILATION PAUSED.

MANA IS BEING USED BY ASSIMILATION RATE, RESOURCE RENEWAL, MONSTER SPAWNING, AUTO-REPAIR, SYSTEM MONITORING, AND UPDATE MANAGEMENT. RECOMMENDATION: INCREASE MANA SUPPLY. RECOMMENDATION:FEED MANA CORE MORE OFTEN.

NOT ENOUGH MANA TO DISPLAY SEED GROWTH.
NOT ENOUGH MANA TO DISPLAY HERB SPROUT GROWTH.
---

DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE AT 26%

DUNGEON CORE IS CURRENTLY OUT OF MANA. ASSIMILATION PAUSED.

MANA IS BEING USED BY ASSIMILATION RATE, RESOURCE RENEWAL, MONSTER SPAWNING, AUTO-REPAIR, SYSTEM MONITORING, AND UPDATE MANAGEMENT. RECOMMENDATION: INCREASE MANA SUPPLY. RECOMMENDATION:FEED MANA CORE MORE OFTEN.

NOT ENOUGH MANA TO DISPLAY SEED GROWTH.
NOT ENOUGH MANA TO DISPLAY HERB SPROUT GROWTH.

AUTO-REPAIR CANCELLED DUE TO LACK OF MANA. ASSIGNED MONSTERS WILL RETURN TO STANDARD DUNGEON PROTOCOLS.
---
DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE AT 26%

MANA DIVERTED TO RESOURCE RENEWAL.

MANA IS BEING USED BY ASSIMILATION RATE, RESOURCE RENEWAL, MONSTER SPAWNING, AUTO-REPAIR, SYSTEM MONITORING, AND UPDATE MANAGEMENT. RECOMMENDATION: INCREASE MANA SUPPLY. RECOMMENDATION:FEED MANA CORE MORE OFTEN.

NOT ENOUGH MANA TO DISPLAY SEED GROWTH.
NOT ENOUGH MANA TO DISPLAY HERB SPROUT GROWTH.

HEALING HERB HAS RETURNED TO BASELINE VALUES.

RESOURCE RENEWAL PAUSED. ASSIMILATION PAUSED. AUTO-REPAIR PREVIOUSLY CANCELED. MONSTER SPAWNING PAUSED.
---

UPDATES COMPLETE.

YOU HAVE GAINED THE UNIQUE SKILL: DUNGEON AWARENESS!

DUNGEON AWARENESS (--) [OTHERWORLDLY CAVERN]
As the registered master of this dungeon, the Otherworldly Cavern, you will now have a greater awareness of its activities. Your Telepathy skill has been used to establish a link with the dungeon core; Skill Synergy has boosted Dungeon Awareness's effect. MONSTER_ROSTER, MONSTER_ASSIGNMENT, DUNGEON_MAP, DUNGEON_RESOURCES, and DUNGEON_STATS are now available in the DUNGEON MENU. Some MENU options may still be limited or inaccessible.

YOU ARE DEVELOPING THE UNIQUE SKILL: MENTAL_MAP [DUNGEON - OTHERWORLDLY CAVERN]!
MENTAL_MAP AT 0.1

Dungeon:Jason

You used the Source Crystal!
You have Monster Analysis I, Magic Analysis I, and Material Analysis I! Skill Synergy activated!
---Skeleblin_002 [Gawain]---
Skeleblin, a Skeleton-type Undead-class Monster created from the remains of a Goblin. This Goblin likely died from natural causes a long time ago. It is fully grown, with bone fusion and tooth decay indicating age. These bones are still naturally hard enough to be used as materials. Magic energy can be detected within them. This magic animates the bones and allows them to move without muscle. The magic energy that creates undead is typically charged with negative emotions, or sometimes under the effect of seals, curses, or other spells that prevent the soul from leaving the body. It is infused with magic, but has no magical skills yet. These magics are negative and volatile in nature. It is under the effects of an environmental magic. This Skeleblin was revived, and is currently assimilated, by the [Otherworldly Cavern] Dungeon. By nature, Skeleblins are roughly as durable as living Goblins, but their strength has decreased. In contrast, their lighter weight allows them to move more quickly. They retain the ability to use tools to a limited degree. If not manipulated by a necromancer or some other source, most Undead will single-mindedly pursue living creatures with hostility. They do not normally possess self-preservation instincts or any form of intelligence. This Skeleblin only has access to the Use Light Equipment skill from its former lifetime. It is currently not developing any new skills, and others have been deactivated. You have reassigned this Skeleblin's designation as [Gawain].
---Analysis Complete!---

Source Crystal needs to recharge. No Mana Crystals in Inventory.

System:Jason

The Source Crystal turned gray and dead in Jason's gooey grip. Gawain's eyes glowed slightly brighter, then without warning the Skeleblin took off at a full sprint. It was simultaneously comical, awkward, and disturbing to watch--with no tendons or muscles to hold them in place, Gawain's limbs flopped and flailed wildly in a far too-large range of motion. His bony spurs clack-clack-clacked into the distance as he raced around the pool, a distance roughly about 30 meters. It would take the Skeleblin about the same time as it would take a human walking average speed (5 miles per hour), despite the creature running full-tilt. Perhaps it was due to its lack of height or muscle, or maybe even having "increased speed" compared to a living Goblin just didn't mean that much.

As Jason settled down to try and meditate, he would find at first that he couldn't seem to feel his Mana the way he had before. For one thing he was still reeling somewhat from the flood of information from the Dungeon Core. For another he had just received a great deal of information from the Source Crystal. For a third, his efforts to actively feel out his magic seemed at odds with his effort to...not make any efforts. That is, it was hard to "rest" oneself if one was still thinking about all the things they were trying to do. As time went on and he sorted himself out, he began to feel more centered and at rest...but he still couldn't feel his Mana as clearly as before. He had clearly overdone it yesterday, and despite a full night's rest and taking care of himself with food and water it wasn't going to be so easy to recover.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

Asura, Momma Slime, Oberon, Digbie, Ed, Torrent

After Asura replayed his memories of his own level ups and skill selection to Momma Slime, she burbled quietly to herself while he spoke to the other monsters. Finally, she extended a psuedopod slowly and precisely, as if she were trying to press a button.

And holding it down.

For a few seconds nothing happened...then, as if she had ingested something that had now dissolved, her membrane began to become somewhat discolored. Or rather...it was losing its translusence to a degree, as if it were becoming thicker and thicker. The bright blue slime now had a sort of foggy swirl under the first layer of her body, so that the things inside her membrane pocket could no longer be clearly seen.

"Done skeelz." she announced.

Once Digbie held Ed up over his head, the Dire Rat's field of view expanded significantly. He could now more clearly hear the shouting in the distance. What was more, several figures were standing in front of the cave entrance, or just outside of it, and the sunlight behind them made their forms easier to make out even if all he could see were black shapes. Two goblins, a larger shape that still had to be a pixie from its height, and something that might have been a lizard...but it had wings. As he watched, the shouting died down and the figures moved further from the cave.

As Torrent tried to shed her skin, she found that her scales didn't seem to want to "scrape" off just by dragging herself against the ground. She did notice, however, that the dirt didn't seem to stick to her or make her "dirty" as she wallowed a small pit in the earthy floor. They were still smooth and perhaps a little more shiny--like rubbing two pennies together, perhaps. Maybe this was some kind of adaption that helped Lesserwurms move through the ground smoothly--after all, it wasn't really "logical" that fantasy monsters like giant worms and such could effectively "swim" through things like rock and sand.
Then the System informed her that she was suffering HP Drain due to running out of stamina.

Oberon and Asura talked for a few moments more, but it seemed all the group was in agreement at this point that it was time to, as the phrase went, "GTFO." They headed for the entrance of the cave, to an area slightly to the left where the slope of the cave wall and the lower ceiling created several rocky ridges, nooks, and crannies where they could hide. From here they could all see the group Ed had been observing, but it looked like the Goblins intended to camp outside for some reason...

[[Assuming everyone is in agreement to leave, also assuming chronologically by this point all of Orchid's group has followed Crispy's group outside to the edge of the forest.]]

---

Orchid, Ash, Reoth, Mourningstar, Ardur, Crispy, Goblins

The pixie simply smiled and reached back up the stone structure. Disappearing for a moment as he did. Orchid put a hand on Crispy's shoulders to bring him back to his reality, and the other goblin started uncomfortably.

”This isn’t a trick Crispy. Like I said before the monsters were acting weird. No… They’re just like us now. They talk. They’re as smart as you and me."

"Orchid speaks the truth, Crispy." Ash began slowly. The Goblin looked at her with open hostility as she used his name.

"They’re even willing to work with other monsters to survive." Orchid continued. Crispy jerked away from her and took a few steps back. "That’s why when Rattleskull started going around killing the others in the cave, all the monsters came out and fought the goblins instead of each other."

"You not listenin' to what I sayin', youngling! Always talk too much!"

"Things are changing. You’re going to have to get used to it. Otherwise you’ll end up like old Rattleskull.” Orchid sounded somewhat exasperated, and Crispy ground his yellowed teeth together.

"But I won't make any excuses or attempt to gloss things over with a friendly pretense. I want a business deal, nothing more, nothing less." The Pygmy Drake broke back in, and Crispy's attention was being split in two directions at once.

"What bidness!? You a Pygmy Drake, can't make bidness!"

"Protection and extra hands, and in return I make the goblins all the potions they need." She paused for a moment, letting Crispy come to a conclusion himself. "That's right, Alchemy. Ever heard of it? You seem like a smart goblin, so I'll assume you have. I am fairly skilled in such things. With the right ingredients I could likely almost make anything."

"Drakes can't make potions! See, is trick!" Crispy yelled, pointing with dramatic thrusts of his arm.

”They actually helped me survive before I met the other goblins." Orchid insisted. "If they wanted to kill me they could have when I was still weak and stupid. But they didn’t… So I trust them. And if you want to survive, especially outside of the cave, you need to trust me too.” Orchid pointed towards the forest and wanted everyone heading in that direction. ”Now let’s go before any unfriendly monsters find us. I only got the ones who I could trust. Who knows what else will leave the cave now that Rattle is dead and new monsters start moving around.”

Ash began to follow the female goblin. "Of course, you are free to reject the offer and you'll never see me again," Ash glanced back at Crispy. "...but then you'll have one less tool against whoever or whatever has taken over the cave, now won't you?"

The pixie came back--along with a giant spider that made Crispy's eyes bug out even more.

"No we're not goblins Crispy, but we want the same thing. To survive and thrive. Our hope is that by helping each other we can achieve this." the pixie said. Crispy clutched his head with both hands, his jaw creaking as he tightly worked it back and forth. It seemed like he was having a legitimate crisis of some sort trying to wrap his head around all of this.

"Orchid! We deals wiv dis laters!" He balled his hands into fists and stomped the ground. "Dese udda Mobs can stay for nows, but dey stay OVER DERE!" He pointed across the grass, basically on the opposite side of the small clearing between the cave's entrance and the edge of the forest. "I gots to talk to yous, privy-like!" With that he trudged towards the goblins' side of the clearing, where some of the others had already returned.

At this point the group had at least obtained their objective of getting out of the cave. Now that they were out in the open, however, there was a noticeable change in...well, everything. The wind on one's skin felt like ghostly touches and whispers after spending so long in an environment where the air rarely moved. The mid-morning sun shone bright overhead, so for creatures that had spent their entire lives thus far in the cave the light strained their eyes. The grass under their feet was soft, but the rough textures as opposed to the smoothness of stone gave one the feeling that there was constantly something crawling against their skin. The goblins were noticeably more tense, though it wasn't precisely fear--merely the discomfort that comes with a foreign environment.

Wej and the male torchbearer were the first to return, as they hadn't gone very far into the woods. Using Wej's wicker shield as an impromptu basket, it looked like they had been digging around the roots of several trees and searching the bushes for things to eat. There were a few handfuls of berries, a couple of soft looking roots, a few sprouts that might have been some kind of wild onion or similar vegetable, and then...

Fat, spotted grubs the length of a person's hand and thicker than a thumb. Beetles that looked somewhat like a Japanese Rhinoceras, except their horn split into three like a trident near its base. Lizards that, while more similar to a species of anole or gecko than to the Fanged Lizard monsters, still didn't quite seem to be the right color as the ones from Earth. And a songbird that looked like it had been dead for...a few days. Long enough to start rotting and accumulating maggots.

"We gots lotsa food dis time!" Wej said.

"Must be cause early Gobs catch early birds!" said the torchbearer smugly.

Bigs and Crispy's two minions came back with bundles of dead wood gathered from under the trees. Each of them had their equipment slung over their backs or around their waists and had put several sticks under each arm. The wood didn't look particularly large and some of it had pithy spots or looked damp, so it probably wouldn't last long, but they at least had enough for a decent fire now.

Orchid's other shieldbearer and Jezee, however, hadn't come back yet...

---

Jason, Asteria, Danny, Mother Rat, "Gawain"

"A Soul from Beyond?" The blue eyes blinked in surprise as Asteria explained her former life and the odd void between worlds where the Demon King recruited her. Then when she described said king the eyes narrowed. "So a new Demon King has risen. But for how long?" The eyes looked away from Asteria, distant in their own thoughts. "Of course, you wouldn't know. But if another cycle of destiny has begun, then perhaps..."

Asteria found that as she imagined her former self, her vaguely defined dream form took those qualities. However, she felt truly no different...was this of any purpose? Or had she merely used the lucid part of her mind to change this dream?

The blue eyes turned back to her when the Dire Rat asked if they could see the truth of her spirit. By this point the water was up past Asteria's chest. The distortion beneath the eyes seemed to become more defined, taking on a humanoid and feminine shape.

You ____ Mons___ Ana___is I_!
Und___ - An el____tal spirit as________d wit_ _ater. The_ _______ __ronger if they are al_____ to ______lish a ___ically _____ed terr_____ ______ a bo_y of ___er, but _____ is _ limit to th___ ra____ and u_____ _ther w___r sp____s th__ ____not b___ the____ves wel_ __ mov___ water o_ _____ bo__es with hi__ __vels of a_____ty.
--Ana__sis Co____te!--

Sys___:As___ia

Much like attempting to run or fight in a dream and being unable to really put "pressure" or "strength" into one's limbs, Asteria's skills didn't seem to be working quite right. Still, maybe there was something there she could put together...

"I do see the truth of your spirit." answered the blue-eyes. "Though I still do not understand. The only way a Soul from Beyond could have undergone Reincarnation that I know of is the Ceremony of Heroes...but a Demon King should be unable to perform such a thing by his very nature..."

The water was getting over Asteria's neck. Soon she would have to hold her breath.

"But if you are truly a Hero, you may be able..."

No doubt, Asteria would try to swim or otherwise struggle to stay above water. But no matter how much of it she tread it just kept rising higher--and perhaps at some point, gasping for air, she might ingest some of the water.

A young man--no. An old man, who had been young once, who would always be who he was on that very first day--An old man walked wearily into the cave. A cape, tattered to ribbons, swept behind the heels of his cracked boots. Their soles had long ago worn smooth. His armor no longer gleamed and though his muscles were like dry leather and woven rope--strong, but fraying--he walked with a limp.

He drew a gleaming sword from a scabbard. There was no blood, nor grease, nor speck of grime upon the sheath's lacquered and polished surface, but the sword somehow stuck at the hilt until the man gently, yet firmly, pulled it free.

"This is where I got my start, you know. Ha...how long ago was that, now?" He lifted the blade, turned its tip downward. "The monsters here are quite weak. Little more than animals, just searching for a place to get out of the weather. Desperately clinging to life like the rest of us." He stuck the sword into the earth, its tip slicing easily through stone--however, despite how deep it went, when he took his hand from the hilt the blade tilted to one side and fell, pulling itself back out.

"No demons will think to look here. No creature here will have the power or the heart needed." Speaking as if comforting a child, the man picked up the sword and held its grip in both hands. Once more he turned the tip down, but the crossguard was held close to his body, across his chest. He stood statuesque. "But happy-go-lucky fools with big dreams, who know nothing of battle and war, will come here to train for the day they become a Hero. Talented adventurers, rebelling against strict mentors, will come here to show that they have what it takes, even though they don't. Children that overestimate themselves will come here to play, and be rescued by those with the seedlings of courage in their chests--even if they returned to the burned shell of a home."

His grip, still gentle, became firmer. He lifted the sword high and smiled.

"Courage is awakened, not passed on. Power is earned, not inherited. Wisdom is gained from life, not birth. That is why this must be. Sleep for a time, dear. I was only a man, who lived and died as men do. Another man will come. You will be in pain for a time, a terrible pain, a pain I despise myself for causing you. But it is my greatest hope, if the World Maker wills it, that another man will bring you happiness that allows that pain to fade. I am sorry."

He brought the sword down. A tear ran down the edge of the blade.

"Aegeus, unleash thy howl! Depth Charge!"

The entire cavern shuddered. The crater ate away at earth and stone, ravenously digging deeper, in a cascade of light. At its bottom, the sword's blade gleamed. Standing at the crater's edge, the man began to weave the air with his hands.

"Enduring fortitude, unyielding shield! Divine protection, within and without! Castle walls, treasure vaults, none could hold riches worth my charge! Yet I layer them, another atop another atop another!" The man's spell diagram was so complex and so bright it was impossible to decipher.

"World Maker! Witness my final moments! I pray for your guidance, comfort, healing, and protection--not for myself, but for my charge! Let this one who has protected me for so long rest in the deep, where she belongs!"

A second seal overlapped the first. The man spoke the last words, but the sounds were distorted as the memory began to fade.

All that remained were the sounds of crying. Tears streaming endlessly.

Asteria jerked awake with a start.

---

The Timeline Has Split...

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕆𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕𝕝𝕪 ℂ𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟

A New Dawn: Day 10 Since Rebirth. Day 4 Of Adventure.

---

Jason's Cave Group/Cave Escapee Group/Ash's Group (Goblins Not Included)

Over 24 hours of fighting. A goblin raid, building traps, defeating a boss...healing, eating, drinking...planning, splitting up, forming groups...finding shelter, resolving mysteries, discovering more questions.

It was mid-morning of the 9th day by the time many of the monsters finally settled down for some well-deserved rest. Just getting their "normal" amount of sleep left them with a darkened cave once more, and the extra rest required to make up for lost time raised the moon high in the unseen sky beyond the cave ceiling. A few of them might awaken, driven by urges for food or water, but as it so happened a light rain began to mist outside during the night. Drips and drops provided enough to wet the throat, and much like in the beginnings of their lives a little moss here, or a stray Herb there, maybe a juicy bug crawling on the ground, would stave off the worst of the pangs. Some were close enough to actual water to sate their thirsts. Others had eaten beforehand. All however, essentially woke up long enough to relieve themselves or get just enough to stay comfortable, then rolled back over. Theirs was a bone-deep exhaustion, the kind in which one begins to dream, awakens to fulfill some basic need, then immediately resumes and the next morning does not remember ever stirring.

Ash's group, though still unsure of the trustworthiness of the Goblins, decided to find shelter from the elements beneath the roots of trees and the branches of thick brush, or perhaps even climbing the rough slope of the cave to find hidden nooks and crannies, maybe disappear just over the curvature of the rough-shaped hillock so as to be out of sight of the goblins. They, along with Oberon's group, might have established a watch, but somehow some way they made it through the night unmolested.

Thus, in the very early and wee hours of the morning--even before the blue light of twilight dawn, before the last of the stars had twinkled out--they began to truly awaken.

At Jason's cave, at some point during the night Skeleblin_003 had joined "Gawain," standing watch at the front of the cave. An unfamiliar Dire Rat slept a short distance away, curled up on a flatter stalagmite overlooking the pool. A fourth (third, taking into account that 001 had been destroyed) Skeleblin walked back and forth between the cave and the dark corner where Asura had once found Momma Slime.

The various piles of dirt in different areas had been disturbed at some point during the night. Though most of them now lay open and empty, several new piles were present as well.

Also, though the rain had certainly dripped through several places in the ceiling, it hadn't really formed any puddles or trickling streams. For one thing there hadn't been enough water, for another most of it was diverted down the tips of the rocky spires hanging all over. Yet a puddle had formed, where the old goblin bonfire had once been. The ashes in the base of the firepit had turned to sludge. The mud was very churned in appearance, as if something had simply stood there and stomped around in it all night.

All of Asteria and Ed's traps had been dug up and removed, their holes refilled and patted down with dirt.

Near the nesting area where Ed, Asteria, and Mother Rat had begun their adventures, something had been placing rocks one on top of the other. Not little rocks either--the kind of boulders that would stay set in place, even if balanced precariously, for hundreds of years unless some drunken idiot pushed them over and posted the video on Youtube. This pile was only about three boulders high thus far, but by climbing on it one could almost reach the ceiling where a large patch of Mana Crystals had grown...right next to a crack that now streamed soft light and cool morning air...

Speaking of Mana Crystals, the Reincarnators had limited themselves to mostly using what they had stolen from Crispy's stash for the previous two days. Between this and Jason's herb garden--which looked as if a few more seed pods had been buried even after Danny and the others went to bed--the resources of the cave now seemed to be back to where they were before the mass overharvesting that took place some days prior. Then again, it wasn't just the Reincarnator's conservatism...aside from the area around Jason's cave, at present it almost seemed as if the place was empty...

You are Fully Rested.
You are Hungry.
You are Parched.
Your Tamed Creature is Peckish.
Your Tamed Creature is Thirsty.

System:Ardur

You are Fully Rested.
You are Starving.
You are Parched.

System:Ash

You are Fully Rested.
You are Hungry.

System:Asteria

You are Fully Rested.
You are Well-Fed.
You are Thirsty.

System:Asura

You are Fully Rested.
You are Sated.
You are Thirsty.

System:Danny

You are Fully Rested.
You are Starving.
You are Parched.

System:Digbie

You are Fully Rested.
You are Starving.
You are Thirsty.

System:Ed

You are Fully Rested.
You are Fed.
You are Well-Hydrated.
Your HP is Full.
Your Mana Disorder is subsiding.
You still have Mana Burn.
You have no MP Remaining.
Dungeon Update Failed to Send. Failure due to no MP. Telepathic Link temporarily disabled.
Dungeon Update Failed to Send. Failure due to no MP. Telepathic Link temporarily disabled.
Dungeon Update Failed to Send. Failure due to no MP. Telepathic Link temporarily disabled.
Dungeon Update Failed to Send. Failure due to no MP. Telepathic Link temporarily disabled.
Dungeon Update Failed to Send. Failure due to no MP. Telepathic Link temporarily disabled.
...
...
...

System:Jason

You are Fully Rested.
You are Hungry.
You are Dehydrated.

System:Mourningstar

You are Fully Rested.
You are Starving.
You are Thirsty.

System:Oberon

You are Fully Rested.
You are Hungry.
You are Dehydrated.

System:Reoth

You are Fully Rested.
You are Hungry.
You are Thirsty.

System:Torrent

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

Orchid, Ash, Reoth, Mourningstar, Ardur, Steve, Goblins

"A week ago I think. Around the same time I woke up in the cave. I think... No, I know I wasn't born here." Crispy raised an eyebrow.

"Ain't nowhere else for yas to be borned! If you wasn't one of Rattle's younglings you might be one of mines, but all da gobs in dis cave was borned here!" The flame touched goblin didn't seem to be catching on just yet. "But...you ain't da first gob to have weird dreams..."

"That's why I'm smarter than the others. I... Look young. But I've had these dreams... Maybe more like memories? I don't know. But they're useful." Orchid moved Crispy's finger away from her head so she could look him in the eye. "Also, I told my goblins that when I shouted, I wanted them to attack. And I did shout but no one came. I was trying to distract the monsters so the other goblins could catch them from behind."

"Hm. Well, dey was bein' attacked at da same time--my bunch saved 'em and summa da udders." Crispy shrugged, but seemed satisfied with her excuse for the moment. After all, he couldn't really be picky with who survived, considering just how much the tribe had been whittled down.

"Whatever. That's done and over with. Now we move on. Ash! The rest of you can come out now." Crispy's eyes opened wide. "Like I said... I made some new friends too. I was hoping, that before the monsters attacked us and Rattleskull went on his little rampage, I could work something out with the others. These are the ones who I trust. They'll help us survive... And maybe even retake the cave."

"Wait, befo' ya do dat we needs ta--"

"Hello, Orchid." A creature Crispy had never seen in the cave before appeared from behind a rock--its long tail ended in a vicious looking stinger, its wings made its body look bigger and more threatening than it really was, its claws and limbs were stronger than a normal Lizard, and its maw glittered with fangs. "...Crispy, was it? Considering I've yet to be blasted with a fireball I assume negotiations are going well?"

"DA FUG IS DAT!?" Crispy pointed, incredulously shouting at Orchid. "Dat's a Pygmy Drake, dey ain't from roun' heres!" Before the female goblin could answer, an eerie song wafted over the group as a disturbingly buff pixie appeared above them. He seemed to be doing some kind of one-handed chin-up on a stalactite or something. Again, Crispy's eyes bugged out as he clapped his hands over both sides of his head.

“Born of graves and left below. Painted ashes, painted snow. When the dark awakens. Fires of our last hope are getting low. Souls of gods and souls of men. Meet in, cinders to ascend. Fate has chosen. And our fading light is at its end.”

"DA FUG IS DIS!? WHY PIXIE GOT MUSKLES!?" He turned to Orchid, anger burning brightly in his beady little eyes. "Orchid!" That was probably the first time he had actually used her name. "Dese ain't Gobs! Dey ain't gonna help us! Is trick! Has ta be!"

---

Asura, Momma Slime, Oberon, Digbie, Torrent, Ed

Before meeting with the other group, Asura touched Momma Slime and tried to relay to her his memories of the skill screen and the abilities he had gained over time.

"Those are skills. I'll be working on more tomorrow. But right now I'm tired." He said while he relaxed more to regain some Stamina. Momma Slime wobbled thoughtfully, then extended her own pseudopod.

"Dis Skeelz?" she said again, and then she shared her own memories with Asura. And at first, he saw them the same way she did...

Slimes "saw" without eyes. Her interpretation of vision was different, thus the image was blurry and not at all distinct. But as Asura's perception processed the memory, it became detailed. Slimes did not normally speak, and had little concept of language, much less any form of writing or the act of reading. Now that the vision was distinct, however, Asura might remember the moment in the white void-space when the Demon King gave him his choices for a new life...and those odd runes that transformed themselves into his own language. The letters on Momma Slime's image seemed slightly different...but they too, wriggled and twisted in front of his eyes as if he had developed dyslexia in one moment, then suddenly put on brand new prescription glasses the next. The text became readable.

Momma Slime's memories were always blurred together, as life experience for a normal slime didn't depend much on a perception of time. However, at the very least, this memory seemed to be associated with Rattleskull's death, as in the background of the images Asura could see his corpse...

LEVEL UP!
Your battle experiences have culminated in new power! You are now Level 7! You gain Skill Points to distribute as you please! Max HP has increased!

Unspent Skill Points:38

Current Skills:
Physical Damage Resistance I (1.0)
Limited Shapeshift I (1.525)
<UNUSABLE SKILLS>
Blunt Resistance I (0.55)
Pierce Resistance I (0.3)
Slash Resistance I (0.15)
Magic Resistance I (0.2)
Poison Resistance I (0.225)
Smash I (0.675)
Bounce I (0.3)
Cling I (0.125)
Faster I (0.25)
Iron Gullet I (0.825)
DEVIATION (0.525) <CANNOT BE INCREASED WITH SKILL POINTS>

System:Adult_Slime_123

System:Asura

While Asura mulled that over, the other group of creatures approached.

You used Monster Analysis I! You used Magic Analysis III!
This is a Monster, with almost no magical energies. This is a new monster to you!
---Asura---
Amorphous Slime - Slimes that have a preference for shape shifting sometimes develop a weakened membrane. Their defensive abilities stop increasing so quickly compared to normal slime types, but their shapeshifting and movement skills rise more quickly. These slimes avoid water, as it has a much stronger diluting effect on them. You know this Amorphous Slime as Asura, a fellow Reincarnator. Asura's only magically oriented skill is a Magic Resistance to attacks, and his MP is about half of yours at full value. However, there are a small number of magical skills he is developing.
---Analysis Complete!---

System:Oberon

---

Jason, Danny, Mother Rat, "Gawain"

After filling himself on MP, Jason once again sought to enforce his control on an aspect of the dungeon. As he cleared his throat and stood next to the Skeleblin--drawing a glance of acknowledgement from it but otherwise prompting no reaction--he first began to use his Focus skill. As he visualized his desired result and flexed his magical power, he could feel it condensing inside him like sunlight gathering in a magnifying glass. After 30 seconds of this passed, he began to chant...

"Hail O' Guardian, cursed without name." The two rings formed again, glowing a much brighter shade of purple in the air this time. " I hereby christen thee, Skeleblin Gawain!" The runes appeared, and the wavy line passed through the center of the circle like a mathematical wave. "In time I'll release you, or return true life... " A straight line formed vertically in the center of the circle, passing through the wave. Jason began to feel the same mental strain as before--would he stop? "I swear upon spirit and nature alike, cometh hell or high water, I will make things right..." In the leftmost quadrant of the circle formed by the two lines, another strange symbol appeared. "TELEPATHY NAMING CEREMONY--Hope for the damned!!!"

The circle flashed, then exploded with a sound like microphone feedback. Jason felt a splitting pain within his mind and a sudden sensation of something like electricity surging through his entire being--painfully.

Spell casting has been interrupted by ERROR
You have not specified an alteration of the spell Telepathy I.
--Telepathy: MP Cost increased by 100%. Spell Range Touch. Spell Effect: One-Way Communication (Short).
--Possible Alterations Attempted: Taming? Two-Way Communication? Range Increase? Sensory Intensity? Please Insert Alteration.
You do not have enough MP for this spell in its altered form.
You are experiencing Mana Burn.
You have overdrawn your MP.
Mana Burn has changed to Mana Disorder.
You have no MP remaining.
Natural MP Recovery has stopped.
Item MP Recovery is reduced in effectiveness by 50%.
You have a migraine. You are exhausted. You are still experiencing HP Drain. You require food, water, and rest to begin recovering.

System:Jason

When Jason recovered from this, even one as stubborn as he might realize he wasn't getting anywhere. So there was nothing left to do except try to cancel out his HP Drain so that he could begin recovering Stamina, and...maybe once he had Stamina back he could figure out something to do about the Mana Disorder. So, first of all, he once again tapped into the Dungeon Core.

QUEST ACCEPTED. CURRENT OBJECTIVES:
+PATCH HOLES IN THE CEILING
+SECURE AND INCREASE RESOURCES
--NATIVE RESOURCES: HEALING HERB, MANA CRYSTAL, WATER, POISON HERB, TAINTED MANA CRYSTAL
--CURRENTLY AVAILABLE NON-NATIVE RESOURCES: FIRE, WOOD, FLAME-TOUCHED MANA CRYSTAL
+FEED DUNGEON CORE
--ORIGINAL FEEDING METHODS: AMBIENT MANA, NEGATIVELY CHARGED SOULS
--NO CURRENTLY ACCEPTED ALTERNATIVES
+HASTEN DUNGEON ASSIMILATION
--DESTROY OR EXPEL NON-ASSIMILATED INHABITANTS
--ORGANIZE ASSIMILATED INHABITANTS

WARNING! RESOURCES ARE BEING DEPLETED BY AN EXTERNAL SOURCE!

DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE AT 6%.
DIRE_RAT_A HAS BEEN REGISTERED.

RESOURCES ARE BEING INCREASED.
5 HEALING HERB SEEDS ADDED.
SEED GROWTH:
1. 0%...0.1%...
2. 0%...
3. 0%...0.05%...
4. 0%...0.05%...
5. 0%...

UPDATES COMPLETE. DUNGEON AWARENESS HAS INCREASED TO 0.7.

Dungeon:Jason

About the time Jason got the warning from the dungeon was the same time that Danny plucked a Healing Herb from the garden (reducing its total number to 7, not including the black herb), and when he received the resource increase message Danny had just finished replanting the seeds from the Herb he had picked.

Steadily growing weaker from the lack of Stamina and HP Drain, as well as the pounding in his head from overuse of his magic, Jason now inspected the little rock pile Asteria had built to try and keep the water out of the new creek that had formed. Then Jason drank. The water was surprisingly cool and refreshing, despite the dirt all around it from Torrent's freshly excavated tunnel.

Jason watered his crops, then used a Healing Herb to try and mitigate some of the effects of his HP Drain. Finally, he began to sleep...

Danny examined the herbs, plucking one and relieving it of his seeds so as to replenish the field for the future. After Meditating to recover his MP--having just seen Jason botch yet another spell--he then began to experiment with his own abilities. "Gawain" watched him go with softly glowing eyes but made no move to impede his progress either in or out of the cave.

Danny found that with his Lesser Force he was able to hold about a cup of water easily, and it floated as if it were on a space station. It formed a perfect sphere, smaller droplets orbiting around it, until Danny put pressure on it and began trying to spray it. He found that this worked, but at the moment it was little more than a toy squirt gun--and not one of those ones from TV that held a gallon and sprayed with enough pressure to powerwash someone's forehead, but one of those little crappy ones from the dollar store that broke the trigger off the first time you actually squeezed it.

Maybe with practice he could get better, but as of now he could probably muster enough Lesser Force to just throw the orb at someone. Splashing them in the face probably wouldn't hurt much, but it might blind and distract.

---

Asteria, ???

"I will not answer your questions until I know the truth of your spirit." said the odd entity. As the water rose, the blue eyes rose with it, only slightly below the water's level. It seemed as if something very small was distorting the water beneath those eyes as well...

"So you are Asteria...and you are a former Human? But I do not feel a Curse upon you to change your shape...and you carry no item of glamour..." The eyes moved, very serpent-like, around Asteria as the water level continued to rise. "Show me the truth of your spirit. Why are you here, and what are you doing?"

The water was higher now, but Asteria would notice that her "dream body" didn't feel cold despite how much water covered her. The distortion near the eyes was becoming more definite, as if something like clear plastic was in the water and diverted the liquid around it without being visible to the naked eye.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

Asura, Momma Slime

"Wut skeelz?" The larger blue blob wobbled from side to side. She seemed to have learned enough now that she was actively attempting to communicate directly with Asura instead of using the odd thought-connection slimes seemed to naturally use with their own kind. Her own psuedopod reached out to the rock that Asura had been using to exercise, and she began to mimic the lifting motion he did earlier. "Dis skeelz?"

Though the two slime monsters hadn't moved much from the place where Rattleskull's defeat had taken place, as the daylight in the cave became more prominent they could see towards the remains of the old bonfire. And further past that, during the night they had seen the torches of the goblin tribe at different points. Now those lights had disappeared--and in the distance, a small trail of smoke was curling towards the ceiling. Had the goblins tried to build another bonfire, and then let it go out for some reason?

Coming up from the direction of the pool, headed towards the cave entrance, Asura would also eventually be able to see the figures of several other monsters--though at this point he hadn't seen Oberon's evolved form up close and hadn't seen Torrent's transformation at all, he would probably recognize Ed and Digbie.

---

Oberon, Torrent, Digbie, Ed

As Oberon attempted to analyze the light in the distance, it seemed that it was currently too far away for the skill to activate. He could, however, tell simply by watching it that his guess about it being some form of Wisp was probably correct. It moved in that erratic, lightning-bug fashion the magical creatures had, although it was somewhat slow and...jerky, compared to others.

When Ed moved to the front of the group, nose to the ground and ears perked for any sign of danger, his Beast Senses would tell him several things. The first was that Mourningstar had definitely passed through here--though he only realized it now, he had been around the group long enough to recognize their distinct smells. And he also recognized, simply from accumulated experience, the smell of two creatures that must have been Fanged Lizards, or something similar. He had fought several lizards at this point and knew their general scents even though he didn't specifically know who or what these creatures were, or if they were even fellow Reincarnators. His senses weren't strong enough, however, to immediately follow their trail. He could only make sweeps across the ground and follow the stronger patches of scent where he found them, making for rather slow going.

His sharp, beady eyes peered into the dim light of the cave, but now as daylight progressed the surroundings were becoming brighter. Soon he could see a distant pair of colored dots--one bright red, the other bright blue. Could that be Asura and the mother Slime? As his ears twitched, he could pick up a few sounds besides the footsteps of the group. Towards the pool, that splashing from earlier had subsided, though now there was a slight trickle of flow again heading back towards Jason's cave. Whatever had caused the splashing might have also widened the small trench Torrent had originally created. The second sound he perceived was distant shouting. He couldn't tell exactly where it was coming from, because it seemed like the voices were bouncing off the cave walls and ceiling, and at this distance even though he could tell something was shouting, he couldn't decipher what they were actually saying. There seemed to be at least three or more of the fading voices, and none of them seemed really familiar. If he could pick out any direction at all from the sound, the best guess would be towards the cavern's entrance. Could it be the remaining goblins? How many of their tribe was left at this point?

As Digbie activated his upgraded Tremor Sense, he gained a broader sense and understanding of the ground they were standing on. That didn't help him much, except that he found a hollow spot a little ways off from their path that looked to be the leftover traps Ed and Asteria dug earlier. Had they ever cleaned up all those poisoned Bone Needles? He also found a few imprints in the earth that were likely the footprints of other creatures--the heaviest was a goblin like himself, but the weight was different enough from his own footprints that maybe it was a smaller gob or a female. The other prints were too light to tell specifically what they were...except if Digbie, or Ed for that matter, were to actually look closely they would be able to see that one set of these prints appeared to be like those of a Fanged Lizard, but slightly bigger...the "fingers" and "palm" of the limbs were broader as well, almost like those of a feline rather than a reptile...

When his Tremor Sense hit the water, Digbie experienced an odd sensation. If Tremor Sense could be described as a sort of gray-scale, fluctuating echolocation translated into a visual image, then the sensation of Tremor Sense passing through water might be similar to looking at the world through a pair of those drunk-goggles police handed out during school demonstrations. He had difficulty picking up anything at all, and the odd "movement" he felt through the water almost made him nauseous.

---

Jason, Danny, Asteria, Mother Rat

QUEST COMPLETE. YOU ARE ALREADY THE BOSS OF THIS DUNGEON. CURRENTLY YOU HAVE NOT BEEN CHALLENGED.

COMMAND: "Suppress the spawning of all undead-class monsters for the next two hours..."
COMMAND IS INVALID. YOU MUST INCREASE THE DUNGEON LEVEL IN ORDER TO ACCESS DUNGEON COMMANDS.

A NEW QUEST IS AVAILABLE.
DUNGEON MAINTANENCE: PERFORM A SERIES OF TASKS TO REPAIR/MAINTAIN THE DUNGEON AND INCREASE ITS LEVEL.
+PATCH HOLES IN THE CEILING
+SECURE AND INCREASE RESOURCES
--NATIVE RESOURCES: HEALING HERB, MANA CRYSTAL, WATER, POISON HERB, TAINTED MANA CRYSTAL
--CURRENTLY AVAILABLE NON-NATIVE RESOURCES: FIRE, WOOD, FLAME-TOUCHED MANA CRYSTAL
+FEED DUNGEON CORE
--ORIGINAL FEEDING METHODS: AMBIENT MANA, NEGATIVELY CHARGED SOULS
--NO CURRENTLY ACCEPTED ALTERNATIVES
+HASTEN DUNGEON ASSIMILATION
--DESTROY OR EXPEL NON-ASSIMILATED INHABITANTS
--ORGANIZE ASSIMILATED INHABITANTS

DO YOU WISH TO ACCEPT THIS QUEST?

YOUR DUNGEON AWARENESS HAS INCREASED TO 0.6.
DUNGEON ASSIMILATION RATE IS AT 5%.
ZOMBIE_PIXIE_002 HAS SPAWNED AT O-5.

Dungeon:Jason

You used Monster Analysis I!
You used Magic Analysis I!
--Skeleblin--
Skeleblin, a Skeleton-type Undead-class Monster created from the remains of a Goblin. Magic energy can be detected within them. This magic animates the bones and allows them to move without muscle. They are suffused with energy that feels negative and dangerous. It is infused with magic, but has no magical skills yet. These magics are negative and volatile in nature. It is under the effects of an environmental magic. By nature, Skeleblins are roughly as durable as living Goblins, but their strength has decreased. In contrast, their lighter weight allows them to move more quickly. They retain the ability to use tools to a limited degree. If not manipulated by a necromancer or some other source, most Undead will single-mindedly pursue living creatures with hostility. They do not normally possess self-preservation instincts or any form of intelligence. This is Skeleblin_002.
---Analysis Complete!---

System:Jason

Jason's attempt to give the core an order didn't seem to work right now. Right now he couldn't issue any commands at all, apparently because the Dungeon's level was too low, but even once he increased the level, would there be specific commands he could and could not give the core? Nonetheless, his Dungeon Awareness skill had increased slightly faster this time, and a new quest had become available! It wasn't quite as extravagant, perhaps, as the rewards for completing a quest in a videogame, but at least it was something.

As he tried to relax and meditate, Jason could feel an ever-so-slight bit of his energy replenishing. But he really needed sleep, considering he had been up for much longer than 24-hours at this point and had been quite busy during that time. Fighting, building, casting spells...it took quite a toll on a person. Or Slime.

Then using both [Monster Analysis I] and [Magic Analysis I] on the skeleblin, the ambitious slime mage would attempt communicating with the monster; watching for any signs of aggression from the undead creature. "Poor cursed soul that wanders the earth... Do you seek freedom from your terrible fate? Or do you perhaps seek purpose instead?" he beckoned, once again banking on the power of [Charisma I].

The Skeleblin, or Skeleblin zero-zero-two as the Dungeon system seemed to call it, simply kept walking. It seemed to register Jason's presence with a slight pulse of the glow in its eyesockets, but otherwise there was no reaction. However, when it reached the mouth of Jason's cave, it stopped. It looked towards the core, then looked at everyone standing in the cave. Asteria, Mother Rat, Danny, and finally Jason. Then, it turned to face the outer area, away from the core, and took just a few steps this time. Now standing on one side of Jason's cave mouth, it straightened itself until everything below its neck seemed stiff as a statue. And then, the cranium atop said neck simply began to slowly, observantly sweep from side to side.

After a few moments, there was a slight trickling sound. It was just the water-trough running from the pool, which hit Asteria's dam and spilled a few more drops over the side of the trench. The skeleton's eyes lit up as it looked towards the sound, and if bones could suddenly become tense, that would be the best way to describe the shift in its weight. But after several seconds, nothing happened...and the skull returned to its slow, steadily sweeping gaze.

You used Monster Analysis II!
---Skeleblin---
Skeleblin, a Skeleton-type Undead-class Monster created from the remains of a Goblin. By nature, Skeleblins are roughly as durable as living Goblins, but their strength has decreased. In contrast, their lighter weight allows them to move more quickly. They retain the ability to use tools to a limited degree. If not manipulated by a necromancer or some other source, most Undead will single-mindedly pursue living creatures with hostility. They do not normally possess self-preservation instincts or any form of intelligence. This particular Skeleblin is very old, the Goblin it was revived from likely died a long time ago. While the age of an Undead is sometimes an indicator of its strength, this type is too basic to have accumulated a build up of magic despite its history. It seems to be standing guard over something.There is something unusual about it.
---Analysis Complete!---

System:Danny

Meanwhile, as Asteria and Mother Rat slept--though the Mother's ear would twitch every so often, evidence that she, like many animals, was quite capable of sleeping "with one eye open"--the younger rat began to dream. She relived memories and nightmares, explored what-ifs and whys. Once again she stood in that endless, pristine white expanse.

Then it began to fill with water.

It poured in from...where, exactly? Over non-existent walls? Through the ceiling that wasn't there? Nonetheless, it pooled around her ankles--or were they her paws?--and slowly began to rise.

"Another one. What...is this? Humans, who are not Human? There are spells and skills to change one's shape, but I do not sense such power within any of you. Who or what could have done this, and why?"

A pair of blue eyes floated under the water, looking up at Asteria.

"Who are you? Why are you here? What are you doing?" asked the echoing voice.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

Asura, Momma Slime

Momma Slime nodded, her entire body wobbling back and forth after Asura gave her advice. She finished eating Rattleskull up to the chest, then mimicked Asura's more precise shape shifting to dissolve only a part of his remaining arm and wrapped it up in her membrane pocket. Afterward she rolled over to where Asura was doing something near the wall, and for the moment seemed content to watch.

When Asura tried to use the as-yet-undeveloped Cling skill, he found he could really only "stick" to a surface at ground level--if he tried to actually climb higher, the force of gravity seemed to simply peel him off. It wasn't just because he couldn't stick well enough either--his weight, his ability to balance, the ability of his pseudopods to adapt to the surface of the wall, all of these things factored into his inability to stay fixed in place, not just the adhesiveness of his goo-body. As he pumped his membrane to lift rocks, and manipulated his other pseudopod to get a grip on the stones, he would now notice that when he thought about having fingers, several small protrusions had appeared on the tip of his pseudopod. As he "curled," as well, he would notice that his pseudopod had grown something of a rough bicep, apparently from his own subconscious thoughts about his former human body.

Wait a moment, hadn't the recent upgrade for Limited Shapeshift told him that his mimicry would be more detailed now? Maybe he could have fingers!

You are out of Stamina. You are experiencing HP Drain.

System:Asura

---

Mourningstar, Orchid, Ash, Reoth, Crispy's Party, Goblins, Ardur

"I'll explain as we go. First we need to go out of here." When Orchid started to walk away, the other goblins looked first at her, then at Crispy. The fire touched goblin glanced around at them, then sneered before he quickly moved up ahead of Orchid.

"Dat's just wat I was gonna say, Youngling! I gots a plan, once we gets out da cave. Come on, youse lot!"

The others now followed obediently, none of them any the wiser that, at a distance, the other monsters were stealthily following them...

"First, just let me say I saw how Rattleskull died." Orchid continued. Some of the others gulped audibly. "He got cocky. Thought because he was the biggest goblin here, no one could beat him. Maybe that's true, if he fought them one-on-one. But the monsters ganged up on him. Separated him from the others so they could all jump him."

"Yeah, dem ain't no normal mobs." Crispy broke in, raising his voice to get the others to pay attention to him. "Some of 'em can even talk!"

"He died because he didn't work with all of us, just did what he wanted to do. And that got him and a lot of others killed for it."

"Oi, Youngling, you did dat too! Just ran off in da middle!"

Orchid either pointedly ignored Crispy or was too caught up in her tale at this point to slow down, but at the least it seemed she had all of the goblins' attention.

"Ain't none of us as strong as Rattleskull. If we try to fight the monsters again, they'll just kill us one-by-one, and they'll have a much easier time at it. That's why we gotta work together. And more importantly, use their own tactic against them. We can work with other monsters too."

"Hold on dere youngling--"

"Da Mid...I mean, da Boss already did dat!" spoke up Orchid's third minion, the one with the better spear who hadn't yet introduced himself by name. "He tricked dem udda Mobs good, turned uh, turned der shoes on der feet!"

Some of the others started to say things as well, but this was the point Orchid was prepared for resistance on. So she spoke up louder, even over Crispy, and plowed through. By this point, they had reached the entrance of the cave, and the goblins covered their eyes against the sunlight until they could adjust.

"I've had dreams about these things before. About monsters who work together to fight a bigger monster... But soon, the monsters start fighting each other too. They only worked together because Rattleskull made us try and kill all of them, so they all had to come and fight back. We can't keep fighting. We got to learnt to work together. Because if we don't, we'll just be food."

"Youngling, you talkin' too much aga--wait. Dreams?" Crispy's expression suddenly changed. If Orchid was watching, she might notice that he wasn't exactly looking at her with surprise, or anger. It was something more...thoughtful. The way he had been glancing at her before the raid on the cave had begun. He gripped his chin and bit his lip as if he were thinking hard about something.

"Hey, I knows! I saw two gobs make a lizzy work for dem one time!" spoke up one of Crispy's minions. "Ya just gotta get sumfin' to tie round dey necks!"

"If we works togedda, we can BUILD DA WALL!"

"--Wej has the right idea. We could build a wall inside of the cave. It'll take all of us to make sure it'll work, and I need to be there to talk to the other monsters too." Orchid then looked to Crispy. "I don't know where you went, but I need to see whoever leads the cave now. I'm going to talk to them and see about working alongside them... If only until we set up the walls in the cave. And for that to work we need wood. A lot of wood."

"Wait, waitaminute." Crispy held up his hands and shook his head, but he was too slow.

Orchid pointed out into the forest. A bounty of materials, but also untold dangers. "There's one thing that cave doesn't have, and it's wood. Wood is important to build stuff. Stones are strong, but I can't make spears or shield out of stone. So first, we need to rest and eat. Crispy, I need a few goblins to come with me so we can get food for the gobs. I need you to make a safe place for us to rest. Also... I want to show you all some friends who can help us. Be nice to them. They're smart and strong."

"Oi! Okay, all yas!" Crispy shouted now, holding up his hand to get everyone's attention. "Da younglin' right about one ting, we needs stuff! You tree!" he pointed at Bigs, Wej, and the as yet unknown shieldbearer. "Each of yas on one team! Da rest of ya--" he gestured to Jezee the torchbearer, the unnamed male torchbearer, and the two minions of his own, "split up and go wif one a'dem! Look on da ground first where da sticks fall out da trees! Youngling!"

As the others scrambled to follow Crispy's orders, the tattooed goblin walked up to Orchid and looked her in the eye.

"We gots ta talk." He held up a finger as if to point at her forehead. "When dese dreams started?"

Meanwhile, two groups watched them unseen--on the ground, Ash and the others hid among the rocks and shadows. Up above, Ardur and Steve listened in...

---

Jason, Danny, Asteria, Mother Rat

((Guy, read my message in the Discord, may need to double check your skill values))
Current Status:
Stone-Hardened - Earth elemental Variance. Increase defenses, gain earth affinities.
Boss Monster - Linked to Dungeon Core for The Otherworldly Cavern.
Mana Burn - MP recovery slowed via natural recovery and item usage.

Unspent Skill Points: 0
Current Skills:
Physical Damage Resistance I (1.0)
Warcry I (1.85)
Stone Shot II (2.5)
Rock Spire II (2.05)
Tremor Sense II (2.375)
Soil Manipulation I (1.15)
Telepathy II (2.45)
Material Analysis I (1.15)
Magic Analysis I (1.5)
Monster Analysis I (1.4)
Mental Resistance I (1.25)
Charisma I (1.125)
Focus I (1.2)
Limited Shapeshift I (1.15)
Mind Wave I (1.05)
<UNUSABLE SKILLS>
Earth Affinity (0.6) <CANNOT BE INCREASED BY SKILL POINTS>
Faster (0.4)
Wave Shock (0.1)
Swift Swimmer (0.1)
Aqua Sphere (0.7)
Alert (0.1)
Smash (0.5)
Cleave (0.3) <UNUSABLE WITH CURRENT ABILITIES>
Blood Drain (0.6)
Taboo (0.3)
Muffle (0.1)
Crafting (0.3)
Magic Resistance (0.4)
Agriculture (0.2)
Plant Analysis (0.2)
Acid Spit (0.5)
Bounce (0.2)
Fire Resistance (0.4)
Fortify (0.2)
Sensory Resistance (0.2)
Mana Orb (0.5)
Shield (0.5)
Alchemy (0.4)
Meditate (0.3)
Air Read (0.2)
Keen Sight (0.2)
Point Strike (0.2)
Doze (0.1)
Blunt Resistance (0.5)
Spell Chant (0.8)
Rabid Fit (0.1)
Pierce Resistance (0.1)
Lesser Cleanse (0.2)
Dextrous (0.2)

You used Magic Analysis I! You used Monster Analysis I! Skill Synergy grants boosted effectiveness!
---Rain?---
This is a new type of monster to you! This used to be a normal Fanged Lizard you knew as Rain, but she has transformed! Lesserwurm: Related to dragons, but still a cold-blooded reptile, this creature burrows through the earth and fills the enclosed spaces around its prey with poisonous fumes. Its lengthy body is quite fast and deceptively strong, and its ability to shed its skin somehow allows it to heal more quickly. You know Rain is a Reincarnator.

Rain has lower MP than you do. She has developed one magical skill but has not yet activated several others. Lesserwurms can use magic but are not particularly talented at it at lower levels.
---Oberon---
This is a new monster to you! This used to be the Pixie you knew as Oberon, but he has transformed! A highly territorial, but otherwise relatively friendly type of creature. Quite similar to Pixies at first glance, they are much more empathetic and even altruistic than other types of Fey. Unless an enemy presents a threat to their homes and families, they often prefer to flee rather than fight, but if something enters their nesting area they are known to swarm much like wasps. They are aligned with the light element and their wings have scales similar to some types of moths. When these scales fall they sometimes glitter, and the Sprite's body is often covered with them.

Oberon has higher MP than you do. He has 8 magically oriented skills and spells, and is developing several more. Sprites are very talented with magic, especially that of the Light element.
---Analysis Complete!---

System:Jason

Jason's requests were answered this time, though the strain of not only looking at the system, but also speaking a great deal of information to everyone via telepathy while analyzing Rain and Oberon was beginning to make his head hurt. When Oberon cast his Lesser Status Heal spell, the slime would wait for several moments only to realize that it didn't seem like he felt any different. Why had that not worked on the Mana Burn status effect?

You used Magic Analysis I!
---Lesser Status Heal---
A Nature-element spell that boosts the target's natural immune systems. Physically this boost allows the body to fight off weaker toxins, diseases, etc, even if they are caused by magic. Certain magical status effects may not be affected, or only temporarily alleviated, such as a Curse that weakens one's normal abilities.
---Analysis Complete!---

System:Jason

Still, despite all this, Jason was determined to try again. He gave it some careful thought and came to the conclusion that the length of his chant might have something to do with using too much of his MP.

"Souls of the accursed, may I grant thee peace." The green mage-slime could once again feel his energy beginning to flow, and now that he was intentionally trying to ritualize his magic he could feel the buildup of energy and the changes in directon within that flow. "And as all life doth spring forth from earth, may the power invested in me, as master of this dungeon--" Once more Jason felt his MP surging! "--allow thee to return to it at ease. No more shall ye wander a tormented existence in death..." Now, within the innermost ring, a line bisected the odd magical diagram into two halves for the second time. "...but be born anew in the afterlife..." The diagram began to glow more brightly! "ROCK SPIRE BURIAL RITE--Earth's Mercy!"

This time, the earth did as he desired, swallowing up the Skeleblin's remains. Somehow, the air around the "grave" felt fresher now, and everyone nearby would feel a sort of unseen tension rolling off their shoulders.

You have no MP remaining.
You are still suffering from Mana Burn.

System:Jason

When Jason consumed two of Ed's stored Mana Crystals, he received another message telling him that his MP had been fully restored, but the Mana Burn status was still in effect. What would he have to do to get rid of it? After using Telepathy to contact Ed, he now attempted another spell. This time he used Focus, so the power took another thirty seconds than usual to begin flowing, and he was using his higher rank of Telepathy on the core itself.

"From now to eternity, I command this domain--" His energy had been gathered and focused, and now began to flow. The air directly in front of him began to ripple like hot asphalt in summer. "--heed my call and accept my claim. May this bond of mind, between master and core--" Twin rings of soft violet light took form, as if Jason were looking through the sigil at the core, a two-dimensional object forming in three-dimensional space. "--open new possibilities, like never before!" The words of the still not-understood language appeared within the rings. "Telepathic Bond--Enhanced Dungeon Link!" Just as a wavy line bisected the diagram, Jason released the spell.

ONE (1) ALTERNATE BOSS CANDIDATE IS LEAVING THE DUNGEON. FIVE (5) POTENTIAL BOSS CANDIDATES REMAIN BUT DO NOT CURRENTLY MEET ALL REQUIREMENTS. DO YOU WISH TO ABANDON THE SUB-OBJECTIVES AND REGISTER THE QUEST AS COMPLETE?

DUNGEON ASSIMILATION IS AT 4%.

GHOST_WISP_001 HAS SPAWNED AT H-7.

DUNGEON UPDATES COMPLETE. DUNGEON AWARENESS INCREASED TO 0.3.

YOU HAVE ALREADY ESTABLISHED A DUNGEON LINK. WITH THE TELEKINESIS SKILL CURRENTLY AT RANK II, YOU MAY ACCESS THE DUNGEON CORE WITHIN A RANGE OF 5 FEET. THE DUNGEON WILL NOW SEND CONTINUAL UPDATES AT THIS RANGE. DUNGEON AWARENESS INCREASED TO 0.4.

Dungeon:Jason

You have no MP remaining.
You are still suffering from Mana Burn.
You have no Stamina remaining. You are experiencing HP Drain.

Skill Gain: Spell Chant I!
Magic is the unison of Nature, Spirit, and Will. Language is the expression of Will. Using personalized language as an aid in manipulating one's energy is the first step to conceptualization and understanding of what Magic truly is. Using a previously existing Spell Skill as the Base, you may enact one (1) alteration of the spell's typical qualities. You possess the skill Focus, which allows a spell to increase either its power or range in return for increased MP cost of 50% of its initial value and delayed casting time of 30 seconds. Spell Chants will also delay casting time by a default of 10 seconds, as any chant shorter than this will be ineffective. Skill Synergy between this skill and Focus will allow you to alter Power/Range + One (1) other spell quality, which may include Power or Range a second time. The more complex the chant, the greater the alteration, but also the greater the increase to MP cost; by default the spell's cost is increased by a further 50% of its initial value.

System:Jason

As Jason headed for the mouth of his cave to observe the others who were leaving, he would now see a distant figure approaching as the others moved away. It was another Skeleblin, though the bones of this one looked much older. It soon came close enough that there was no doubt it could see Jason, and possibly some of the others who were leaving...but it never screeched any kind of battle cry, and it didn't suddenly rush towards them. It just continued its slow, mechanical walk towards the cave...

***

You used Monster Analysis II!
---Ed---
This is a Dire Rat you have come to know as Ed. Dire Rats are quite large and strong for rodents, with sharp senses. They are predator scavengers, and because their teeth constantly grow they forage and gnaw constantly. Their forepaws are somewhat capable of gripping and manipulating, but they aren’t very skilled. Rats often hunt in packs, composed of family units, but the mothers will often drive off the fathers as they will behave aggressively towards the young. You know Ed is a Reincarnator. Ed is ready to Transform, and has been developing skills that are unusual for Dire Rats.
---Analysis Complete!---

System:Danny

As Danny kept watch, he too would see the approaching Skeleblin as Jason approached...

Meanwhile, Asteria was conducting an experiment of her own. Trying to feel her magic flow while she drew the circle created an odd sort of sensation--if she had ever tried using a Ouji board back in her old world, it might be similar to the experience many people described when playing that game, that the viewing lense--or in this case the claw she was using to draw--was being "guided" by an unseen force.

Once she had completed her diagram and placed her stone, she began trying to move the rock by sheer force of will, chanting in a similar way to what she had seen Jason do. And when she used Mana Sense...

You used Mana Sense!
It's your own Mana you're feeling. You are channeling Mana into the symbol you have drawn. Your Mana is acting on the rock in an attempt to push it, using your MP to generate a physical force. It's not strong enough yet...

You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.

You are out of Stamina. You are experiencing HP Drain.

System:Asteria

Luckily it was right as she was beginning to experience the HP Drain that she settled down next to Mother Rat and began to rest...although, just before she began to drift off, she declared her intent to transform...

And Asteria's world went dark as she drifted into a restful sleep...

---

Oberon, Torrent, Digbie, Ed

You used Lesser Status Heal!
Lesser Status Heal Failed.

You used Magic Analysis III! This is a Monster, albeit a magical one by nature. This is a Monster you have analyzed before. You have the skill Monster Analysis I, allowing Skill Synergy to boost effectiveness.
---Jason---
Jason, as a Stone-Hardened variant of a Slime Mage, has an affinity for Earth magic and higher MP than normal for a Slime. He has developed a number of spells, several of them related to the Earth Element. You have seen him use Tremor Sense, Stone Shot, Rock Spire, and Telepathy. He is currently not full on MP, and has less overall than yourself. He is experiencing Mana Burn. He is trying to develop a skill that seems to involve chanting a spell.
---Analysis Complete!---

System:Oberon

As the four headed back to where they had last seen Mourningstar, Ash, and the others they would indeed find that the other group had moved on without them. But after all, there was only one entrance to the cave, right? However, as they passed by the pool, they would suddenly hear a loud splash, as if something had dived into the water, or maybe a fish had jumped.

The place where Torrent had dug her way back up out of the channel she had inadvertently created looked like it had gotten bigger.

And suddenly, in the distance, the group could see an eerie, unhealthy looking green light...

---

Gaia Frontier (5e)

---

𝕬 𝖓 𝖙 𝖆 𝖊 𝖚 𝖘

North Forest Clearing

---

Once the girl was stable, Antaeus breathed a sigh of relief. Now all they had to do was figure out how to take back some form of proof--it would probably take him and the orc both to carry the girl, but there was no way they could carry the stag as well. But other deer hunters always kept trophies--the horns, the pelts, things like that. If only they had something to dress the deer with in the first place, though...could he use his javelins, or his pick? Probably not without making a much bigger mess than necessary.

While he thought about this he walked around the edge of the White Stag's trail, and easily found a stick that would serve as the other side of the stretcher frame. But he also saw, almost as if by chance, a glitter of something metal in the bushes. Blinking curiously, he leaned down and picked it up. It was some kind of steel object, incredibly well made...and as he grabbed one side of it between two fingers to lift it, it folded open on some kind of hinge! There was a blade inside! Antaeus had seen a folding pocket knife before, but somehow this one seemed much more...complex? The blade wasn't just on a hinge, it looked like it had a tiny spring, and the handle seemed to require a kind of flipping motion to open. Where had something like this come from? Did it belong to the girl? Her clothes had seemed somewhat odd, after all.

But, now that they had this knife...

"Hey, mister!" Antaeus called to the orc as he returned with the knife in one hand and the wooden stick in the other. "If you'll use this to finish the stretcher and help me take her back to Frontier Town, I'm going to try and dress the stag. We need to take back proof that we brought it down for the reward!"

The orc had been very helpful thus far, which brightened Antaeus's spirits and gave him hope that they'd make it out of this yet. He hated to waste food, coming from a rather poor family that sometimes struggled to make ends meet--especially when his younger sister had been born--but if they left the meat of the stag here, maybe whatever wild creatures were here would be drawn to it and not to the three two-legged targets trying to get back to town. All they needed was the pelt of the stag. The boy was sure its distinctive silver color and texture would be enough proof. If he had the time or skill, he might try to take at least one of its horns as well...but the pelt was his priority.

After all, he wasn't even a hundred percent sure he knew how to do this in the first place...

Rolls/Action Log

Antaeus makes a quick Perception check.
Roll 1d20 + 0 (10 WIS)
Result: NAT 20 YEA
From GM in Discord: "you spot something shiny in the bushes. Looks like the knife had been thrown into the forest when the stag took it off"

Antaeus rolls Survival to field dress the White Stag
Result: 8 arrrrrrgh

Inventory

1 Quest Book - 5 lb
1 Shovel - 5 lb
1 Miner's Pick - 5 lb
1 Block and Tackle Set - 5 lb
--Pulleys
--Cable
--Hook
1 Climber's Kit - 12 lb
--Pitons
--Boot tips
--Gloves
--Harness
1 Set of Clothes, Common - 3 lb
--Roughspun Tunic
--Roughspun Pants
--Ragged Boots
1 Belt Pouch - 0 GP
1 Hunting Trap - 12 lb
1 Backpack - 5 lb - Holds 30 lb
1 Waterskin - 5 lb (full) - holds 4 pints
1 Tinderbox - 1 lb
1 Hempen Rope - 10 lb - 50 ft
2 Javelins - 2 lb Each
6 Darts - .25 lb Each

Total Encumberance: 71.5/240 lb (Light)

Quest Log

+Bookie has agreed to write a letter to Captain Ork at the Garrison. I should kill an animal in the forest and take it to Captain Ork to prove I'm adventuring material.
--The animal can be anything from the Forest. Bookie suggested a deer or a boar.

+With the help of these others, I've slain the White Stag! I should take back some form of proof, and give Barthen's trap back to him...
--Barthen has requested me to hunt a White Stag in the Forest, and has given me a free hunting trap for this purpose. If I don't succeed I should probably bring the trap back.
---I should try to find the Redchaser, she might be able to help me.

+Barthen is paying 1 GP per pound of Medicinal Herbs from the forest.

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

Asura, Momma Slime

As Asura tried to loot Rattleskull, he would find that while he could hold the smaller items besides that ramshackle wooden armor within his membrane he couldn't really "use" them. Rattleskull's weapon had been destroyed, and while his new Limited Shapeshift rank might let him get a better grip on things he just didn't have the type of structure he needed to "wield" these things, much less wear them. Unless he perhaps mimicked Rattleskull's shape...but he didn't have enough mass for that.

So he eventually began to eat the items. He found them especially hard to digest, as they had been crafted meticulously, even though the wooden armor was just rough hewn boards tied together. But Slimes could get the most out of any meal, even giant lumps of cellulose and fiber.

Momma Slime did the same, and soon between the two of them all of Rattleskull's inventory had been devoured. His body was quickly disappearing as well--Asura had taken off one limb for his own, and Momma Slime had eaten both legs and was now working her way up the torso. Both slimes' translucent insides were rather disgusting to look at for the moment.

---

Mourningstar, Orchid, Ash, Reoth, Crispy's Party, Goblins, Ardur (In the Air and somewhat far away)

"B-But there's more animals outside da cave than there are monsters INside it!" protested the torchbearer. The one whose shield Orchid helped repair, however, seemed to be taking her words about working together as an epiphany of sorts. He looked at her with eyes that were wide with awe but somewhat confused. "Why not stay in and...and do somethin' to keep 'em away!"

"Like what?" said the other shieldbearer. "Ya tink we can just...get behind da rocks or sumfin'?"

The wide-eyed one's eyes got wider.

"If Crispy is smart, he'll know that too. Especially now. You two with me." Orchid looked to the torchbearer and another shield goblin. To the one who she just mended the shield for, she had an important task for him. "I need you to stay here and tell Crispy I'm back. I'm going to be in the forest with these two so we can gather more wood. I'd like him to meet me so we can talk. It's not safe in this cave. Too much weird things going on." When she asked their names, the three answered in a manner indicative of their personality as if they had suddenly become more distinct.

"Bigs!" said the first shieldbearer. He was actually the second of Orchid's minions, not the one who had created the much better stone spear or the one who had created the worst shield. Both of his crafting attempts had been somewhat mediocre. But as he thumped his chest he indicated that he was at least a typical reliable goblin--not quite as scared as a smarter creature would be, not quite as hesitant as a less brash one. And he was, true to his name, a little bigger than the average goblin, though not nearly as muscular as the brawny one had been.

"Wej!" said the other shieldbearer. He was a little squatter in build, more pudgy around the middle, and he suddenly seemed very excited. "An' I gots an id--"

"I'm Jezee!" piped up the female torchbearer. As the youngest she was also the shortest, and the skinniest, almost appearing to be malnourished. With Orchid's encouragement her timidness had been somewhat abated for the moment, but only for as long as she stayed close to the "mini-boss."

"I said, I gots an idea!" spoke up Wej, slapping his chest. "We CANS hide behind da rocks! We can make tings like ya showed us!" he practically shouted as he pointed at Orchid. Then he grabbed a stone from the ground, and put it further in front of the fire at the edge of the light. This was followed by a second, and then a third stone, making a small pyramid with them.

"WE CAN BUILD A WALL!" he crowed triumphantly, pointing up into the air at the height of this imaginary wall between the goblins and the monsters--just as Crispy's party came charging into the camp, kicking over the pile of rocks and shoving Wej out of the way unceremoniously.

"All of yas, listen up!" Crispy shouted, before taking several deep breaths to get air back in his lungs. The entire group looked like they'd been sprinting for their lives. "Rattleskull's dead! T'ain't safe heres no more! Dem udda mobs done ganged up, and dey gonna--"

"We already knows, Mid-boss!" spoke up Bigs. "Mini-boss told us!"

Crispy slapped the goblin upside the head, then turned to look at Orchid. But then he blinked and his glare disappeared.

"Youngling! Ya didn't get gibbed!" He patted Orchid's shoulder, then turned to the others. "Okay den! Ya already knows dat we gots to go?"

"Y-yeah...if everybody keeps sayin' dat, I guess we's gots ta leave..." mumbled Jezee.

"BUT WUT ABOUT DA WALL!?" protested Wej as he sat up on the ground, shaking dirt out of his face.

"Wut?" Crispy turned to Orchid. "Wat plan dey talkin' about? You doin' sumfin' else crazy?"

***

Skill Gain: Stronger I!
You have grown stronger through tough training! Tear muscles down, and rebuild them anew! Your physical power stats have increased! By gaining at least one rank of Faster, Harder, and Better, Skill Synergy will occurr and you will gain one rank of Physical Conditioning.

Yo! You have reached the Demon King's Prayer Hotline. Please hold, your prayers are NOT important to me.

I kindly request that you STOP IMMEDIATELY. Do not EVER pray to me again. Prayers are for deities and I don't want that kinda fuckin' responsibility. This is an automated response system, do not reply to it or I'll send somebody to fuck you up.

--Beep--

Update: As of [9 days] ago, if you're one of my Damned Heroes, this is for you. If you can prove your strength to me and survive, find my Palace. Protip--it ain't in that shitty cave. Try the Dungeons.
Update: As of [0 days] ago, you Damned Heroes are growing faster than I thought you would even though I went to the effort of making sure none of you had Cheats or unusual natural talents. Watch yourselves--standing out means drawing attention.

System:Ardur

If it had not been for his new skill, Ardur likely would have found it impossible to fly with Steve in tow. Gliding for a short distance, possibly, but only that extra boost to his strength stats gave him the power he needed to sustain flight. Even then, though, it was clearly much slower and more tiring than normal. But, at this point how else would he do it? Having Steve follow him on the ground would have been just as slow and exposed his friend to danger.

As a tamed creature, it seemed like Steve responded fairly well to pretty much anything Ardur requested, although she still seemed independent enough she likely wouldn't do anything to threaten her own life or interfere with her basic needs like food. She could probably even still hunt without him. But now they were in it for the long haul, just two buds heading on the road to...somewhere.

As Ardur flew, he soon noticed the gaggle of goblins down below...Would he stop for a moment, or continue towards the entrance?

---

Jason, Ed, Danny, Oberon, Torrent, Digbie, Asteria, Mother Rat

As Torrent slapped the fish out of the air easily, its small size and limited mobility no match for her new form, it lay and flopped on the bank for a bit. By observing it she could see it really was nothing more than a small fish, like one of those mini-piranhas some people got as exotic pets or because they liked throwing other animals into the tank like psychopaths. It could probably have given her a nasty bite, but outside of the water it was no threat. Good thing she hadn't tried to stay in that tunnel. Now that she was back above ground, getting back to the others was easy, although one might have to wonder what she had walked in on with everyone showing off their changes and new abilities...

***

You used Mana Sense!
You sense a dreadful and sickening energy! This Mana is highly negatively charged and reeks of death and resentment!

You used Mana Sense!
You sense a warm and comforting energy. This Mana is protective and envelops you like a metaphysical coat. You feel like you won't be harmed with this spell.

You used Monster Analysis II!
---Oberon---
This is a new monster to you! This used to be the Pixie you knew as Oberon, but he has transformed! A highly territorial, but otherwise relatively friendly type of creature. Quite similar to Pixies at first glance, they are much more empathetic and even altruistic than other types of Fey. Unless an enemy presents a threat to their homes and families, they often prefer to flee rather than fight, but if something enters their nesting area they are known to swarm much like wasps. They are aligned with the light element and their wings have scales similar to some types of moths. When these scales fall they sometimes glitter, and the Sprite's body is often covered with them.
---Analysis Complete!---

You used Mana Sense!
The Mana you sense is heavily diluted. What little you feel gives you a momentary feeling of depth, like putting your foot down in the ocean and suddenly realizing the shore is no longer beneath you.

System:Asteria

The Skeleblin remains gave Asteria the heebie jeebies when she used Mana Sense on them, but Oberon's Shield spell was far more pleasant. Analysing the former pixie's new form revealed some interesting information, and then...

There was definitely something in the water, wasn't there? Or was the water itself magical in some way? But the feeling was so heavily diluted, it had only been there for a fraction of a second. And now it was gone. As Asteria dammed up the little stream, it began to pool out somewhat at its end. By this point it seemed the water levels had equalized, though, and it flowed no more. Mother Rat, who had warily hissed a warning when Asteria approached, now began to cautiously creep back towards the others. She dipped one paw in the water as if testing it, then huffed in satisfaction.

***

As Ed checked his lizard skin pouch, he could see that this item clearly would not make another trip. Here in the corner of Jason's cave it would serve for the moment to store the Mana Crystals, but it looked and felt like picking it up would cause it to rip and tear, as would trying to drag it along the rocky ground. But this misfortune might be somewhat leveled out; when he ate the Healing Herb, Ed received a message that his HP was back to full! While his stamina didn't give any indication of increasing, eating the herb also seemed to satisfy his hunger a bit. However, he could still eat, and he still needed to get some real sleep. He had already run too low on stamina once in the past 24-hour period.

***

You used Monster Analysis I!
---Asteria---
This is a Dire Rat you have come to know as Asteria. Dire Rats are quite large and strong for rodents, with sharp senses. They are predator scavengers, and because their teeth constantly grow they forage and gnaw constantly. Their forepaws are somewhat capable of gripping and manipulating, but they aren’t very skilled. Rats often hunt in packs, composed of family units, but the mothers will often drive off the fathers as they will behave aggressively towards the young. You know Asteria is a Reincarnator.
---Jason---
This is a new type of monster to you! This used to be a normal Slime you knew as Jason, but he has Transformed! Stone-Hardened Mage Slime: Slimes are normally of limited intelligence, but every so often one somehow learns magic. With its poor magic stats its casts are limited in number, but few expect a Slime to have such abilities. This one has somehow earned the Stone Hardened Variance, signifying a bond of some sort with the Earth element. You know Jason is a Reincarnator.
---Ed---
This is a Dire Rat you have come to know as Ed. Dire Rats are quite large and strong for rodents, with sharp senses. They are predator scavengers, and because their teeth constantly grow they forage and gnaw constantly. Their forepaws are somewhat capable of gripping and manipulating, but they aren’t very skilled. Rats often hunt in packs, composed of family units, but the mothers will often drive off the fathers as they will behave aggressively towards the young. You know Ed is a Reincarnator.
---Digbie---
This is a Goblin you have come to know as Digbie. A semi-intelligent monster with the limb dexterity and mental capacity to use tools. By comparison, usually as large, strong, and intelligent as a human child, but far more vicious. Digbie lacks the usual vicious traits...or at least you thought he did, but now there does seem to be something off about him. Digbie has an unusual level of magic ability for a goblin. You know Digbie is a Reincarnator.
---Wisp---
This is a Wisp whose name you haven't learned yet ((Danny)). More magical manifestation than biological creatures, Wisps nonetheless possess physical bodies. Their ability to cast spells from range makes them a foe that should not be underestimated by the novice. Wisps are magically oriented monsters, normally possessing two spells. This one is unusual.
---Rain---
This is a new type of monster to you! This used to be a normal Fanged Lizard you knew as Rain, but she has transformed! Lesserwurm: Related to dragons, but still a cold-blooded reptile, this creature burrows through the earth and fills the enclosed spaces around its prey with poisonous fumes. Its lengthy body is quite fast and deceptively strong, and its ability to shed its skin somehow allows it to heal more quickly. You know Rain is a Reincarnator.
---Analysis Complete!---

You used Magic Analysis III!
---Rock Spire---
A basic Earth-aligned spell that creates a sharp spike of stone by drawing loose or broken fragments of earth out of the ground. The caster possesses two Ranks of this spell. It deals more damage than most level one spells for the same MP cost, but requires that solid earth be within the user’s range of sight or perception. Solid earth can include soils and sands, but if the ground is too solid it increases the MP cost of the spikes as new fragments of stone must be broken off. The spike is created beneath the targeted area, object, or creature. One drawback of this is that the flash of Mana produced as a side effect of driving the energy into the earth might alert the opponent. Does Piercing and Earth Magic damage. Currently this spell is being altered by another magically oriented skill.
---Analysis Complete!---

You are experiencing a Fast Rate of Skill Progression.

System:Oberon

***

As Danny observed the Healing Herbs, without the actual Plant Analysis skill being activated yet all he had to rely on were his physical senses. Obviously these things were green, a healthy color even in his old world, except for that one oily black one. He knew they could heal wounds somehow. He knew magic existed in this world, so the herbs themselves were probably magical. Jason had obviously put work into growing them here, so they could be cultivated. He could see the seed pods on the underside of the leaves, but they hadn't filled out yet so this batch still had some growing to do if the group wanted to get more seeds.

The water pool was safe enough to drink from, as at the very least Danny didn't immediately die after drinking from it. It was cold and relatively clear, although there was a little silty taste to it after it had washed through the dirt.

***

You used Magic Analysis I! This is a Monster, but it has some magical properties. Effectiveness reduced. You have Monster Analysis, Skill Synergy increases Effectiveness. This Monster has some Material properties. You have Material Analysis, Skill Synergy increases Effectiveness. Total effectiveness at 70%.
---Skeleblin Bones---
These are the bones of a Skeleblin, a Skeleton-type Undead-class Monster created from the remains of a Goblin. Magic energy can be detected within them. This magic animates the bones and allows them to move without muscle. They are suffused with energy that feels negative and dangerous. These bones are still naturally hard enough to be used as materials.
---Analysis Complete---

System:Jason

Once again drawing his new 'staff', waving it in slow, steady circles; focusing his magic through it, Jason began his ritual once more. "Souls of the accursed, may I grant thee peace." The green mage-slime could feel his energy beginning to flow, and now that he was intentionally trying to ritualize his magic he could feel the buildup of energy and the changes in directon within that flow. "And as all life doth spring forth from earth, may the power invested in me, as master of this dungeon, allow thee to return to it at ease." The golden rings, glowing brighter now, began to spin. And new symbols were appearing within them. Jason could feel his MP surging! " No more shall ye wander a tormented existence in death, but be born anew in the afterlife." Now, within the innermost ring, a line bisected the odd magical diagram into two halves. "Taint of death that damns these bones I banish thee, relinquish yon vile grasp!" Another line began to form, to turn the bisecting line into a squared X--but halfway through it stopped. The entire circle suddenly made a sound like crackling static. "Let this poor cursed soul move on, and rest in peace at last..." Jason felt his mana beginning to leave his body as he released the spell. "ROCK SPIRE BURIAL RITE--Earth's Mercy!"

You have no MP remaining. Spell cast canceled.
You have overexpended your MP. You are experiencing Mana Burn. MP regeneration is slowed.

You used Magic Analysis! This is your own spell, effectiveness boosted.
---Rock Spire I---
A basic Earth-aligned spell that creates a sharp spike of stone by drawing fragments of earth out of the ground. It deals more damage than most level one spells for the same MP cost, but requires that solid earth be within the user’s range of sight or perception. The spike is created beneath the targeted area, object, or creature. One drawback of this is that the flash of Mana produced as a side effect of driving the energy into the earth might alert the opponent. Does Piercing and Earth Magic damage.
You possess the Focus skill, which may allow you to increaes the base range or power of the spell. Using Focus with this spell does not cost as much MP as Rank II of the spell but costs more MP than Rank I.
You are developing the Spell Chant skill, which may allow you to change certain properties of this spell...
---Analysis Complete---

System:Jason

((Working on logical assumption here, may edit later if needed)) No doubt confused by this, Jason would probably use his usual tactic of restoring his spent MP with one of his two Mana Crystals.

You have recovered MP.
One Mana Crystal in Inventory.

System:Jason

Before he had evolved, using a single crystal always restored him to full MP. Was it just because he had enough MP now that one crystal might not always recover the full amount? Or did it have something to do with the Mana Burn he had just experienced? What was more, how could he heal it? If MP was the fuel for magic, maybe recovering it was like recovering the fuel for the body, Stamina? He was getting low on that due to lack of sleep as well.

As Jason ate the corpse of the nearby Dire Rat, he began to feel a little bit better...but ultimately it was nothing more than the satisfaction of a meal. His Stamina would likely begin to recover, but his magic still didn't feel right...

There were other things to contend with, like Oberon's sudden announcement. While dealing with this, Jason used his Material Analysis on the husk that Rain left behind.

You used Material Analysis I!
---Fanged Lizard Skin---
A large amount of shedded skin and scales left by a Fanged Lizard. This skin is [Average] Quality. The properties of this skin currently make it unsuitable for most types of crafting, as it is too fragile unlike other forms of animal hides. It is only a surface layer, rather than a true hide or pelt. If there were a way to strengthen it or layer it, maybe then it could be used for something.
---Analysis Complete!---

System:Jason

Then, as he touched the Dungeon Core...

WARNING! THE DUNGEON STRUCTURE IS BEING DAMAGED BY AN EXTERNAL ACTION!

WARNING! THE DUNGEON STRUCTURE IS BEING DAMAGED BY AN EXTERNAL ACTION!

SKELEBLIN_001 WAS KILLED BY UNIDENTIFIED_SPRITE!

WARNING! THE DUNGEON STRUCTURE IS BEING DAMAGED BY AN EXTERNAL ACTION!

DUNGEON UPDATES COMPLETED. YOU HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF DUNGEON ACTIVITIES. YOU GAIN 1 SKILL POINT IN THE UNIQUE SKILL: DUNGEON AWARENESS. CURRENT SKILL PROGRESS: 0.2

DUNGEON ASSIMILATION IS AT 3.2%!
ASSIMILATION RATE HAS INCREASED!

SKELEBLIN_003 HAS SPAWNED AT V-26!

DUNGEON MENU ACTIONS ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE. YOU MUST GAIN THE SKILL DUNGEON AWARENESS AND INCREASE THE DUNGEON LEVEL TO GAIN ACCESS TO DUNGEON MENU ACTIONS.

Dungeon:Jason

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

ATTEMPT TO RE-ENGAGE SECURITY MEASURES HAS FAILED. CHECKING FOR OTHER SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM...CHECKING...CHECKING...

ASSIMILATION RATE: 2.6%

SYSTEM:DUNGEON

---

Torrent

As the Lesserwurm dug straight up, she was able to create an air pocket above the surface of the water, and once she had a handhold in the dry dirt the strength of the current flowing into her tunnel couldn't pull her back down. However, the earth would soon absorb the water and grow muddy, so she had to move quickly. As she emerged just on the bank of the pool, she felt the ground sink slightly underneath her. The sound of running water continued back in the direction she had come, and the water level of the pool began to lower slightly. Her tunnel hadn't been at a low enough elevation to drain the whole thing, and neither was her tunnel large enough to hold that much water in any case, but as the pool dropped a few inches the stream below her began to grow quieter.

However, something in the water began to stir.

Leaping straight up out of the hole she had dug to freedom, one of the carnivorous fish of the pool (the ones Oberon had seen) leaped up! Though it was only about the length of a human finger, its head was rather broad and its mouth, as Torrent soon witnessed, was round and full of snapping teeth as it launched itself at her--!

---

Asteria, Digbie, Oberon, Mother Rat

You used Magic Analysis III!
This is a monster. This monster is semi-magical in nature. Effectiveness reduced to 55%.
This is a Skeleblin, an Undead of the skeleton class created from the remains of a Goblin. It is infused with magic, but has no magical skills yet. These magics are negative and volatile in nature. It is under the effects of an environmental magic.

You used Magic Analaysis III!
This is a monster. This monster has developed unusual magical abilities! Effectiveness reduced to 50%.
This is a Dire Rat from your party. Since you have last seen her she has developed new skills granting her magic. This is very unusual for a Dire Rat, but her MP levels are normal. This one is unusual.

--Analysis Complete--

Skill Gain: Monster Analysis I!
Gain basic biological information about a monster by actively observing it.

System:Oberon

While Asteria fought, Oberon analyzed both combatants. By the time Asteria had been hit, Oberon had finished and now cast a Shield spell to protect her against further attacks. Instead of continuing to fight against the rat, however, the skeleton turned on Digbie as soon as the goblin came out of the cave. As Oberon readied his next spell, the bony monster let out a death rattle and headed for the still-living goblin.

Oberon attacked from above, in the blind spot of a creature already distracted by something else. As his Mana Dart struck on target, just like the Sprite had assumed it quickly pierced the cranium like a broadhead arrow. The skeleton pitched forward, the projectile continuing through the faceplate and taking off a piece of the jaw before its force was spent, and it dissipated before it reached the ground. The skeleton collapsed, lifeless once more...though its remaining bones still felt oddly ominous, as if they had been soaked in something unpleasant.

Speaking of being soaked, however, Digbie and the two Dire Rats might soon hear the gurgle and bubble of a babbling brook. The tunnel Rain had created when she left suddenly began to sink in along its top, and in a few moments the loose dirt fell in to reveal a small stream of water forming along the trail. The little creek filled to its brim, then overflowed slightly. Mother Rat moved in alarm as a tiny trickle, cold and wet, touched her paw and startled her awake. She sniffed at the water suspiciously, then lapped some of it up...until, after a few moments, she recoiled sharply. The fur on the back of her neck bristled, and she moved away from both the stream and the dungeon core, going deeper down a side tunnel that had a slight upward slant.

Was this water coming all the way from the pool?

---

Mourningstar, Orchid, Ash, Reoth

Skill Gain: Muffle I!
This skill grants you the ability to be just a little bit better at being stealthy, with a focus on reducing the sound of your movements.

System:Ash

”Oi. Rattleskull is dead.” The goblins all jumped, but then they looked visibly relieved when they saw Orchid.

"Mini-boss! Youse alive!" yelled the third of her shieldbearers, hoisting his broken shield above his head triumphantly. But then he and the others quickly lost their enthusiasm as she explained their dire straits.

”It’s not safe in the cave anymore. The monsters have gathered together and they’re going to push the goblins out, or worse. But I know a way to survive outside of the cave. Make weapons, shelter, and food. And once we’re strong enough we could even take back this cave.”

"But dere's more Mobs outside!" protested the youngest of the trio, the torchbearer. "Is, is da ones in here really worse dan all dem?"

"If we climb da trees I tink we be safe from most o'da aminals!" spoke up the other shieldbearer. "But...Crispy and da uddas still out dere." He pointed in the direction Crispy had gone. "Him and four udda gobs. We needa wait for dem!"

"But we already cleared out all dis!" The third shieldbearer gestured around the area they had fought so hard to claim only a few hours ago. "Dey can get to da woods on dey own! I dun wanna stick around and fight dese weird Mobs no more!"

The three began to bicker among themselves, occaisonally glancing back at Orchid as if waiting for her to chime in...

---

Jason, Ed, Danny, Asura, Momma Slime, Crispy's Party

You used Monster Analysis! Effectiveness at 100%, but this is a brand new monster to you!
Amorphous Slime - Slimes that have a preference for shape shifting sometimes develop a weakened membrane. Their defensive abilities stop increasing so quickly compared to normal slime types, but their shapeshifting and movement skills rise more quickly. These slimes avoid water, as it has a much stronger diluting effect on them. This one is unusual.
--Analysis Complete--

Skill Rank Up: Monster Analysis I > Monster Analysis II!
Gain more information about Monsters. Other analysis skills will further boost the information this skill provides, such as a creature’s capability with magic or its equipment.

System:Danny

You used a Source Crystal!
This is Crispy. He is an adult male Goblin with a Flame-Touched variance. He is Level 7 and roughly 4 years old. Goblins stand between three and three-and-a-half feet tall on average, and while their physical strength isn't to be underestimated, they are much like human children. However, their natural cunning and viciousness is far more vile, and while they can use tools they have a limited intelligence. They tend to form savage tribes with little in common save for the constant drive to survive, and a lack of emotional control that causes them to do whatever they feel necessary to satisfy any primal craving they happen to feel at any given moment. They aren't typically capable of long-term planning and have difficulty with abstract concepts. Crispy is longer lived and more accomplished than most Goblins. He possesses the following skills: Fireball II, Poison Resistance I, Crafting III, Intimidate I, Magic Resistance I, Fire Resistance IV, Use Light Equipment. Crispy is developing the following skills: Blunt Resistance I, Slash Resistance I, Pierce Resistance I, Slash I, Keen Ear I, Magic Analysis I, Monster Analysis I, Faster I. Crispy has the following items equipped: Cane-weave Hat (Average Quality), Vine Belt (Good Quality), Straw Sandals (Average Quality), Torch (Bad Quality), Stone Knife (Well-Made Quality). These items provide him with slight boosts to his defenses, his speed, and his close range offensive ability with slashing damage.
The Source Crystal needs to recharge. 1 Mana Crystal consumed from Inventory.

System:Jason

"Good! Glad we all come to unnerstandin'!" Crispy said quickly as the others accepted his offer. He began slapping his minions and pointing, quickly starting them off back towards their own territory, but lingering just a bit himself. "Remembah! Tomorrow! Just one guy!" And with that parting shot, he was off after his cronies--with a fairly quick step.

If Ed and Danny were truly being observant, they might notice Crispy purse his lips and blow out a long breath. Then as soon as he caught up with the others he took the lead from them, and made them increase their speed until the goblins were practically sprinting away.

While the others had been talking, Momma Slime had done as Asura suggested and begun to slowly envelop Rattleskull's corpse. She started with one of his large feet...and as hair and flesh began to sizzle in her gut, so too did the Straw Sandle he was wearing. It was digested rather quickly in comparison, being made of old plant fiber. Mourningstar and Asteria had already taken his Vine Belt and Woven Cane Headband, but the monster still had a few objects left on his person...although probably not for very long, considering how quickly Momma Slime seemed to be taking her meal...

As Jason began the journey back to his cave and came across the Brawny team's corpses, he began a new chant with the intent of giving some form of rite to these departed souls. In functionality he simply wanted to destroy the corpses to prevent them from rising again...but now, just as he had seen before, something different happened. Again those two rings appeared, each rotating in a different direction...but now they had some sorts of symbols inside them! If Jason had a good memory, he might remember these symbols from the White Void, the moment the Demon King had granted the reincarnators their choices for new life. These same symbols had been on the "screens" of each monster he had been shown, detailing what they were and what they could do. He remembered back then, those symbols had changed, melting before his eyes until he could read them in the same language he read back home. The same language he read his System Messages in. But now, these symbols were unreadable to him.

Nonetheless it was clear they had some obvious effect. When his Rock Spire rose from the ground, despite being the lesser ranked version of the spell it was much larger than before, and differently shaped--broader, and flatter. It extended up into the air, and then basically just fell over flat--in the process covering up the majority of the goblins' bodies after crushing their skulls. The manner in which it did this lacked speed and force--it would not have been suitable as an attack. The looser soil that had been disturbed as a result of the spell had formed a small little pile around the edge of the now-fallen spire. For all intents and purposes, it was no different than a hastily made grave for the three.

Somehow, the changed air of the dungeon seemed a little brighter. At least until Jason turned away and headed back towards his cave.

Gaia Frontier (5e)

---

𝕬 𝖓 𝖙 𝖆 𝖊 𝖚 𝖘

North Forest Clearing

---

"THANKS BE TO THE GODS!" As the mighty White Stag went down, kicking its last, Antaeus practically fell to his knees with arms thrown out wide. Breathing heavy, sweat pouring down his body, his muscles aching due to the constant tension caused by fear, hands beginning to shake from the adrenaline rush, he looked towards the wild Orc man. If not for his experience working in the mines with the Boss and her crew, he might have been afraid--after all, for all he knew this was an Orc raider or bandit of some kind. But that didn't even occur to him, as seeing an Orc was a daily thing for the young miner. Instead he felt an incredible sense of relief.

Then panic struck him as his memory refreshed.

"Sir, she needs help!" he called to the Orc as he scrambled towards the silver haired girl. Antaeus was no doctor, but as an elder brother he had treated a few of his sister's scrapes, and he had grown up watching his mother treat anyone in the family who came down with a cold or injury. Still, he didn't know if there was anything he could do about this. How hard had the Stag hit her, to cause bleeding like this...?

"C'mon, miss, please don't die!" he said as he did whatever he could, gulping nervously. She, and the Orc too, had pretty much saved his life--if it hadn't been for them, he had no doubt in his mind he could never have overcome the stag, even if he had tracked it and trapped it. But a real Hero wasn't supposed to sacrifice others, or let them get hurt for his sake...the Hero was supposed to sacrifice himself for others!

Antaeus had realized long ago that he was in over his head. Being a Hero wasn't going to be as simple as he thought. He wasn't going to be good at it just because he was strong. But right now, he couldn't think about that. Just like fighting the stag. Just like working the mines. Make your brain shut up. Turn off all the bad thoughts--about Dad, about everything--and just do it. Push the cart. Swing the pickaxe.

Save the girl?

Rolls/Action Log

Antaeus makes a Medicine check to try and help Retsu!
Roll 1d20 + 0 (10 WIS)
Result: 17

Inventory

1 Quest Book - 5 lb
1 Shovel - 5 lb
1 Miner's Pick - 5 lb
1 Block and Tackle Set - 5 lb
--Pulleys
--Cable
--Hook
1 Climber's Kit - 12 lb
--Pitons
--Boot tips
--Gloves
--Harness
1 Set of Clothes, Common - 3 lb
--Roughspun Tunic
--Roughspun Pants
--Ragged Boots
1 Belt Pouch - 0 GP
1 Hunting Trap - 12 lb
1 Backpack - 5 lb - Holds 30 lb
1 Waterskin - 5 lb (full) - holds 4 pints
1 Tinderbox - 1 lb
1 Hempen Rope - 10 lb - 50 ft
2 Javelins - 2 lb Each
6 Darts - .25 lb Each

Total Encumberance: 71.5/240 lb (Light)

Quest Log

+Bookie has agreed to write a letter to Captain Ork at the Garrison. I should kill an animal in the forest and take it to Captain Ork to prove I'm adventuring material.
--The animal can be anything from the Forest. Bookie suggested a deer or a boar.

+Barthen has requested me to hunt a White Stag in the Forest, and has given me a free hunting trap for this purpose. If I don't succeed I should probably bring the trap back.
--I should try to find the Redchaser, she might be able to help me.

+Barthen is paying 1 GP per pound of Medicinal Herbs from the forest.