"Is everything okay?" the fairy asks me, interrupting my musings about the Wasp-turned-Ant.

'Yes,' I send, barring my emotion from joining the bond.

"Mmm..." Tyra mumbles, scratching her cheek and pushing her skepticism. "Next one, then?"

'Yes.'

The fairy keeps looking in my heart's direction, but I allow a tickle of my reluctance into the bond. "I would go with a few slugs and frogs for now," she says in the end, respecting my wish to not talk about this. "The vines and wasps feel like they will take lots of mana."

Sending her gratitude, I stir the Title again, pushing it among the bigger Resonating Lianas' cluster, the dam blocking the water from flooding the vertical shaft. The 'Life Sworn' confirms my initial feeling again; the whole group wants to Evolve together, and they are the only Vines which can at all. Yet, that will take a few days of regeneration, and it is probably better if I leave them for last.

'The Bright Slugs then,' I send, repeating the correct species' name.

I concentrate on one of the slithering creatures, my Name stirring and claiming additional knowledge from the Records.

Bright Slug's Evolution

Upward - Parasitic Slug - Evolve when inside another being, insufficient accumulated mana.

Upward - Propitious Slug - sustain 50 mundane creatures for 3 consecutive days, insufficient accumulated mana.

Upward - Succulent Slug - insufficient accumulated mana.

This specific Slug is missing a requirement for the first two Evolutions, but some of the others are ready for them, only lacking the necessary mana.

"They all seem rather useless. Why would someone go for the last one at all?" Tyra asks, tilting her head sideways.

'They are not useless. The Slugs' mucus nourishes other creatures, and they reproduce when they are eaten. It is fascinating. They are needed as food by the Stixrant Frogs as well,' I send, pushing a few memories of their procreation to the fairy.

Tyra grows pale, putting a hand over her mouth. "That's disgusting! That poor frog! They...I thought... What the fuck!"

What? Are they problematic for my dungeon?

"You don't see anything wrong with that?!? They are coming out of its...It's stretching so much...How can so many fit inside its body?"

I consider it for a moment, focussing my perception on the few Frogs with the Slug's eggs still inside their body. 'The amphibian's intestine stretches.'

Now that I think about it, my Trait Throughout Abundance affects the Slugs' number of eggs and survival rate as well.

"Stop! Please, stop. Don't Evolve them! Those things need to die! What if this gets worse? The frogs will explode!"

'Why?' I ask her.

That is wrong. Every species deserves to exist, and I like the Slugs as well. They help other creatures while they live, and they feed on the Moss, which is abundant within my dungeon.

"Seriously, stop! I am about to be sick." I feel the fairy's emotions on the link, and I reluctantly cease sending her the images of the colorful monster.

What is her problem?

Tyra heaves for the next few minutes with a hand over her mouth. "Wh-whatever," she says, waving her other hand in my direction. "Do as you want. I don't want to hear about that abomination ever again."

I still want her opinion on their Evolutions, though.

'I want to gain all three.' I say when I feel her emotions relax after a while.

Tyra freezes before slumping against the nest's walls, mumbling something about the slithering Slugs and how she will never go near them again. "Send me your Title again," she says with reluctance. "I thought about something just now."

The Life Sworn: Despite your new wild and predatory instincts, you did not forget your roots, did not forget your previous self. As a result of the hidden aspects of your Variant species and your devotion to Life itself, you were able to develop a growing natural environment inside your own domain, even when doing so didn't provide you any additional power. Your mentality and pledge to Life have granted you this Title. As long as your domain supports more Life than the Death you bring, and all the species you grasp live and thrive, you can imperceptibly intuit the Evolution Paths and missing requirements of your creatures.

"You should Evolve everything only into the stronger species. Having more types of the same creature will make the Title much harder to activate, and you need to keep the weaker ones alive already. If you really have to Evolve the Slugs...the parasitic one? It feels the only valuable one," she says after thinking for a few minutes.

'The better species does not exist, only the most suitable one.' I send through the bond. 'I want to have as much diversity as possible. I want to obtain all three of them.'

Tyra holds her forehead, closing her eyes while speaking to me through our connection, "Then why are you asking me? I can feel you have already decided."

'You told me we are equals. I am informing you and requesting your opinion.'

"But you will do as you wish anyway? Even if I say to do something else instead?" the fairy asks, arching an eyebrow.

'I will listen if your suggestions are reasonable. This one was not. The Slugs are valuable. All of them. More diversity is better.'

Revulsion floods the bond at the Slug's mention, but she doesn't say anything about it.

"I see..." she says, chewing on her lip and sighing slightly after. "Look, it's your dungeon. You were doing fine with your creatures until now anyway, and you know better than me about monsters. Just...tell me if I am near one of the damn things the next time."

Confused by the fairy's request, I start examining which Slug can Evolve into what. Some can Evolve into more than one species, and I want to have enough of every Slug to reproduce efficiently since I don't know if I will gain the new species' pattern.

"It has been ten minutes already," Tyra says all of a sudden while she stretches her body inside one of the nest's cells. "You are not going to find the perfect solution anyway."

Ah, I suppose she is right. New Bright Slugs will reach their Evolution sooner or later anyway, and I now know a few of their requirements. I can force some in that direction in the future, even if I don't really want to.

Steady threads of mana reach the various Slugs waiting to Evolve, and they all fall to sleep. I cover the soon-to-be 5 Propitious Slugs and 11 Succulent Slugs with some fake-stone to protect them, while I cannot do anything but hope the 3 Parasitic ones' survival inside the Frogs.

I don't have much mana left after this, the Common creatures taking a few units of mana each. Some of them required more, some less, but it wasn't based on their new species.

"The mana concentration in the surroundings is high, and the creatures absorb energy while breathing and feeding. Some were just closer than the others. You are just accelerating something that would have happened anyway in the future." Tyra explains while holding her lengthened stone ahead of her in a steady position.

'It is the right thing to do? Choose their Evolutions for them?' I ask after some time in silence.

"Yes. We know better than them. For now at least," she says through the link, slashing repeatedly ahead with the stone fang. "Strange, you didn't have any second thoughts about the spider."

'It was a mundane creature,' I send, waiting for my mana to regenerate and observing the few Stixrant Frogs ready to Evolve.

"Mmm?" says Tyra, stopping her training and watching toward my heart. "And it didn't deserve a choice because of that?"

'No. Mundane creatures are not connected to the Records as we are. They are less,' I explain to her.

Her emotions spike at my answer. "Aaravum, that doesn't make any sense whatsoever. I wasn't connected to the Akashic Records before the bond with you. Was I less then? I didn't become smarter just because of that, and the spider is the same. That is just an arbitrary line you made up."

Is it?

'Life and the Akashic Records are absolute. Since mundane beings are not connected to them, they are incomplete.'

"But some mundane creatures can gain access to the Records, right? Some of them have that potential. If the Records reach out to those, what kind of right do you have to deem them less if the Akashic does not?" Tyra says, seating on the cell's ground.

Oh...

"Are you alright? It has been five minutes already, and I cannot feel much through the bond." Tyra asks, slight remorse flowing though.

'Yes...I suppose you are correct. I never thought about it this way. Thank you,' I send, thinking about my own mundane creature.

While I created some crevices for them and helped them breed, I always felt they were somehow inferior to anything else. I didn't really care for them as I did for the Wasps and Frogs. Even when they got killed by my Wasps, I didn't think much about it. However, Tyra is right. Since they have the potential to access the Akashic Records, they are not really different from us. It is only a matter of luck and opportunities.

I feel the fairy's support flow as she speaks, "It happens, we just need to be better from now on. Sorry for the Bright Slugs too. The memories were a little too graphic. Frogs' Evolution?"

'Stixrant Frogs' Evolution.' I approve, repeating the correct name of the species.

Stixrant Frog's Evolution

Upward - Nulchian Frog - insufficient accumulated mana

Upward - Hosting Frog - have one or more foreign creatures inside, insufficient accumulated mana

'The amphibians have two Evolution's choices each, but only 5 of them can Evolve, the other missing some other unknown requirements.'

"Do three and two then. I am sure others will Evolve soon," Tyra says, probably feeling my indecision through our bond.

I cannot Evolve them yet since I still need to regenerate enough mana for the Evolution, but I have something to ask the fairy anyway. 'Do you know anything about the difference between the creatures I produce and the dungeon-born?'

"Mmmm. No, I have nothing. Are they different?" she asks while pushing herself with her arms from the ground multiple times, not really interested.

'They are. The ones I have created are all behind in their Evolution progress. Among other things,' I say, sending her some of my memories about this.

She stops mid-action, suddenly interested. "Strange. Do you think it's a dungeon thing?"

'Yes?'

"What if it is your old body influence instead? Maybe the residual magic cannot influence them as much since you create them from a pattern." Tyra suggests, interest and curiosity flowing through.

Ah. I never thought it could have been my old trunk, but it is possible.

"For now, it doesn't change anything. But we have to adapt to how we grow in the future if that works only here. It's too important to waste."

'True.'

While I wait and Tyra trains herself, our conversation dies down.

It is rather odd. I am getting used to having someone to talk with, and I regret not trying to be more involved like this with my children. I would have grown much more if I did, and maybe we could have found a solution for the Azure Scorching together.

"I think it's enough. It has been six hours already," Tyra says while flooding the bond with boredom and desire for progress.

I check my status even if I already know she is right. Since I regained my old Name I am losing myself in my thoughts a little bit more than before.

Aaravum The Life Sworn

Species: Viridescent Dungeon Core (Unique)

Titles: The Life Sworn.

Traits: A leaf amongst thousands, Throughout abundance, Fake it 'till you make it.

Current Mana: 26.2/80

Mana Regeneration: +4/hour

Letting my Title flow between the five Frogs, I realize one of them lost the Hosting Evolution, the newborn Bright Slugs having found their way out its intestine. Disgust floods the connection from the fairy's end, but I ignore it, knowing she doesn't want to talk about it.

Ordering the Frogs to swim near a safe zone, I hide them with a layer of fake black stone and send them enough mana to start their Evolution. Soon, they fall asleep, the Records starting to change their species.

"How much time do you think the spider will take to Evolve?" Tyra asks while flying around the nest with the Swarm Consciousness at the same time.

I observe the mundane creature, noticing its body is already changing a bit, growing larger and more robust. 'Not much. Maybe a day.'

"I see. I don't think you can Evolve every monster right now. You have to choose which one, the wasps or the vines," the fairy says, nodding her head.

'Why?

"If the spider Evolves, not all the species you have will be thriving for a while. No?"

'Ah.' I send, my mind stuttering for a moment.

Of course, a species with a single creature alive is not thriving at all. A species as a whole needs to have a way to procreate, protect itself, and feed. The moment I gain its pattern, the Title will not work until the new spider's species can settle down.

I should have planned the Evolutions better. For example, I could have waited until my mana was fully regenerated before starting.

"Yeah. I didn't think about it until now either. At least they are Common and Uncommon creatures, it shouldn't take much time to arrange everything for them."

'Right.'

"Don't beat yourself up. We will do better the next time," Tyra says, sending her sympathy. "I would go for the wasps now, though. They are our main defense while the snakes grow, and the vines are less useful."

Sweeping my sight throughout the dungeon, I cannot help but agree with the green-haired fairy. I would need to wait until my mana reaches 70 or so units before the Vines will Evolve, and it would be risky with the spider nearing its Evolution's end. However, I can start with the Natatory Wasps one by one, and I will not lose anything if I cannot finish in time.

Pushing my Title through all the insects, I verify if there are some special ones with a different Evolution. However, all which can Evolve only have the Hivemind Wasp option.

'Why did all the other creatures have some options while the Wasps only have one? Are we missing something?'

"Probably," the fairy says while the Swarm Awareness swirls around her. "What do you want to do? We could wait."

I observe the insects flying within and without the dark blue nest, already knowing I will go with the Hivemind option now. It suits them, and since it requires the help of a Unique creature, it should be the best one anyway.

'I will Evolve them now.' I send to the green fairy, anticipation about my first creature's Evolution flowing through.

"Sure," Tyra answers with the hint of a smile, fluttering her wings and reaching a torpid Natatory Wasp inside one of the cells.

Feeling our intentions, the Swarm Awareness swirls around the creature, flowing inside after a few seconds of delay. I cannot understand it like Tyra apparently can, but it is clear it is rather excited as well.

I let the 'Life Sworn' join the Awareness inside the insect, my Name requesting more information about the Wasp possible Paths from the Akashic Records.

Natatory Wasp's Evolution.

Upward - Hivemind Wasp - insufficient accumulated mana.

I immediately notice the absence of the 'Swarm Awareness' help' requirement, and I understand it is now satisfied. Without any delay, I begin to push a thread of mana inside the monster, starting its Evolution.

While my mana flows within, I feel the ethereal consciousness take hold of the magical energy instead of leaving everything to the Records control. Knowing this Evolution is different from the others, I open the connection to my core, giving the Swarm Awareness as much mana as it needs. Three units of energy rush inside before the thread is cut off, and Tyra and I are left waiting.

After a few minutes, the ethereal creature swirls outside, leaving behind the Evolving dormant insect.

"At least it doesn't need to stay within until the end," the fairy says, already moving toward another Wasp.

While she flies, I check my remaining mana. Sadly, I can only Evolve another Wasp before I will need to wait for my mana to recover.