I’ve reached a decision: I will not decide. If he was a dude alone who collapsed outside with a big fucking hole in his soul, sure. I’d just patch him up best I could, but he has family. Loving parents who dote on him and can also teleport and are in leadership positions over dozens of people. Parents who would owe me a favor if I saved him. I will reveal myself to them and let them decide.

Moral, practical, AND I can avoid responsibility! Win/win/win!

I have to reveal my presence as a… Thinking? Educated? Exhuman? Not-a-murderhole? Entity sometime. Mr. Crow probably suspects already. He seems to know a bit about dungeons, he noted how strange it was for Wash’s skills in critter modification to improve so much so quickly, and I announced my water production in such an eye-catching manner only days after he discussed the possibility near me. I also strongly suspect that I am more active than other dungeons.

Wash had the ability to dissolve stone just like me and he was living in a natural cave. Even now as I expand I feel compelled to keep moving my hiding spot because I feel exposed. Concealing the essence in water helped for maybe a day, but then I had my little moss tantrum and now I feel more exposed than ever. Like I should stop everything and play dead for maybe, oh, a year. The logical part of me says that everyone already knows where I am. The Empire keeps watch for dungeons and if I had a chance at hiding before, I totally fucked it up by blasting that hole in my wall.

Incidentally, I figured out how I did that. It was because it was a dead end. Essence continued to pour out of my core and the pressure mounted as I forced more and more into that confined space. It would probably have reached equilibrium eventually as the pressure in there became equal to the pressure I was pumping out, but then I consciously ‘threw a punch’ with my essence and doubled the pressure instantly, so it exploded just like anything else with way too much pressure. I can do the whole mana wave thing whenever I want, but it just flows around everything without something to cap the pressure.

Actually, that may explain why they kept checking on Wash- the whole hiding instinct thing. None of the animals have the slightest bit of interest in harming me, far as they’re concerned I’m just a rock, and anyone ‘sensitive’ like Dee or Mr. Crow would be able to tell if Wash was active without even entering the cave, so, like, what could go wrong?

...Yeah, just asking that makes me want to check on things. Humans just like checking on things.

Anywho, it also served the purpose of stressing out Wash, forcing him to develop instead of hide.

All conjecture again though. I’d give a tentacle to be able to sit Mr. Crow down and have a proper conversation about… Everything, but particularly dungeons.

Having them move the village here is nice though. I’m picking up a lot of info from eavesdropping on random conversations. With my mighty rock brain I can listen to two or three conversations even while focusing on other things. Being a dungeon is pretty nice, aside from the lack of food and hot water and internet and not being able to masturbate or take a nap or shower or listen to good music...

Borb does his best, but he’s an enthusiastic amateur playing songs I half-remember, but I have faith in him. He’ll get there eventually, especially if I feed him enough soulstuff. I’m pretty sure you get smarter when your soul gets bigger. Not wiser or more knowledgable, just higher processing capacity.

Backing up a bit, I’m carving murals into one of the walls so I can explain my proposal to Mr. Crow. I am not entirely terrible at art- not good by any stretch of the imagination, but past the stick figure stage- so I'm going for a sorta faux-egyptian style. People in profile with fixed poses and such. It's a fun project, but also incredibly nerve-wracking. Shit's important. Like making first contact with aliens.

Outside the tribe has been receiving visitors. The tribe is the Sahii- or the race? Can't be sure yet. The chief is a 40ish beardy looking chap named Zetli. Seems rather gruff. Subscribes to the "stare at people until they realize they're being stupid" method of leadership. The people arriving are mostly various scouts- I think this area is actually decently populated, they just spread out a ton to keep from straining the resources.

Typical encounter goes like this: the scouts either walk up or try to sneak up. Either way they reach the barrier Mr. Crow put up and get startled. Seems they can't see it but they can feel it. Doesn't physically impede them. Alarm spell? 'Hey, we know we're there. Then Mr. Crow stops whatever he's doing and finds the chief and they go out to visit. They introduce themselves and both parties share a drink from their water skins.

Everyone fuckin loves my water.

Then there's a tense moment when they realize how valuable this water is compared to normal water- it's not 'essence water' anymore but still has a kick to it- but then they look at Mr. Crow smiling like a kindly old man and consider.

Yea. He's a badass. I wanna see him fight something.

The biggest group was a legit war party of Vanai. If the Sahii are slim elftypes, then the Vanai are the hefty orctypes. They like clubs and a few of them have thick chitin armor, think it's made from the same crabs the Sahii use as pack animals. The leader had steel platemail inscribed with magic circuitry- uhh I'll call it runescript- and a big warhammer made from the leg bone of something massive. A trophy? His power is about as potent as Mrs. Crows, he's got the same kind of necklace. Same design even. Mass produced power limiters? His name’s Atog.

They were not happy to see the Sahii and even less happy to see Mr. Crow. Some muttered imperial filth. This time Zetli and Mr. Crow were backed up by most of the men in the tribe and five women, all with spears or javelins. No bows. Sad.

Anyways they had a tense but polite exchange about territories and treaties and such with a lot of subtext I didn't get. Some sorta history here. Everyone fondled weapons, but Mr. Crow who had an invisible book. It was like a gap in the air with no magic in it- I could see little flows of magic bouncing off something there. The system? Mr. Crow does worship Akasha…

He kept looking at people and then making a showy flip of an invisible page, then writing things down with an invisible pen. Once he smirked at someone- the only woman among the Vanai, but she was wearing enough armor you couldn't tell. The orcs reshuffled their formation to protect her better, looking especially fierce and grumpy. Didn’t want her to get found out, eh? Maybe she’s the princess.

In the end the chiefs agreed they could trade water for hides and that the Vanai could send warriors into my tunnels for trials. Apparently that is a service I am expected to provide. Ya’ll assuming a lot on my behalf, eh? It’s my water and my beasties you’re gonna be murdering. I mean, I assume that’s what trials are. Sorta what dungeons are known for. Well, we’ll get into the question of fair compensation for my efforts soon enough.

Soon as they agree Zetli pulls out his waterskin and offers it to Atog. They have a staredown for thirty seconds straight, then Atog pulls his own out and grumpily exchanges. He drinks the entire waterskin, making a face like he’s sucking on lemons the entire time. Everyone else just took a single mouthful. The rest of the scouts stuck around after the ritual, some overnight while others just for a few hours to rest, but this dude just turns his squad around and goes home.

Bad vibes.